ISLAMABAD: After about five weeks of legal wrangling, PTI Senator Azam Khan Swati finally got relief from the Islamabad High Court on the first working day of year 2023, as Chief Justice Aamer Farooq granted him post-arrest bail in a case registered against him for his controversial tweets about senior military officers.

The IHC chief justice accepted Mr Swati’s post-arrest bail against Rs200,000 surety bonds. However, he could not be released as the written order was not issued on Monday.

The bail granting order is likely to be issued on Tuesday morning as the PTI has invited its supporters outside the sub-jail established at Crime Investigation Agency’s office in Sector I-9, Islamabad.

Azam Swati was arrested on Nov 27 after the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) booked him in Islamabad over a “highly obnoxious campaign of intimidating tweets […] against state institutions”. It was the second time that he was booked and arrested by the FIA over his tweets about army officials in less than two months.

The FIA Cybercrime Wing arrested the PTI leader under Section 20 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and Sections 109 (abetment), 131 (mutiny), 500 (defamation) and 505 (conducing to public mischief) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

During the course of hearing, Babar Awan, the counsel of Azam Swati, informed the high court that his client has written a letter to the IHC chief justice.

At this, Justice Farooq said he had perused the order and added that he would constitute a larger bench to decide the issue highlighted by Mr Swati.

In the letter, the PTI senator criticised the IHC for handing him over to the Balochistan and Sindh police where he is facing 46 first information reports (FIRs), and for transfer of the trial court judge where his bail plea was pending.

Mr Swati stated that due to the IHC chief justice’s order, he was abducted and illegally taken from PIMS Hospital on Dec 2, and moved to Balochistan and then Sindh where 46 “false FIRs” were lodged against him.

‘Question mark on justice system’

The PTI welcomed the post-arrest bail granted to Azam Swati, but said the case put a question mark on the country’s justice system as to how a 75-year-old senator was taken across the country to face several dozens of FIRs despite being subjected to the worst mental and physical violence.

PTI leaders stated that granting bail to Senator Swati was simply a partial justice until those who attempted to break his courage are held accountable.

PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Azam Swati was finally released and they all, of course, were happy and satisfied about it.

PTI Secretary General Asad Umar said Mr Swati finally got bail, but asked will he get justice?

PTI’s Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhary said Mr Swati was granted bail, but “the black mark that the case put on the face of our justice system cannot be washed away”. He said attempts were made to “break the courage of the old lion”, but he stood firm.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2023