In a significant ruling, an Anti-Terrorism Court has granted bail to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Azam Swati in eight separate cases, ordering his immediate release. The court session was presided over by Judge Abul Hasanat Zul-Qarnain, where both the prosecution, represented by Raja Naveed, and Swati’s defense lawyer, Sohail Advocate, presented their arguments regarding the bail applications linked to financial support for the D Chowk protest. Despite opposition from the prosecutor, the court accepted Swati’s post-arrest bail request, setting the bail amount at PKR 20,000 for each case. Simultaneously, the Islamabad High Court addressed the matter of Swati’s physical remand. Justices Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb and Arbab Muhammad Tahir examined the case, during which the court was informed that the records for all 13 cases had been requested. The defense emphasized that the procedural timeline justified the duration of the remand. During the proceedings, the Registrar’s Office submitted a report concerning the issuance of notices to involved parties. Justice Aurangzeb raised concerns with the Prosecutor General about the office’s efficiency, to which the Prosecutor General responded that no notices had been received despite regular checks. The court subsequently ordered an inquiry into the notice issuance process, mandating that the Registrar High Court clarify the situation. This ruling marks a critical moment for Azam Swati as he navigates multiple legal challenges.
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