Azam Swati, a legislator from Imran Khan’s PTI occasion, has been arrested by the Federal Investigation Company.
Islamabad, Pakistan – A senior opposition chief has been arrested in Pakistan for a “extremely obnoxious and intimidating” tweet towards the chief of the nation’s highly effective army, Common Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Azam Swati, a legislator from former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) occasion was arrested by the Federal Investigation Company (FIA) within the capital Islamabad early Thursday morning.
Swati’s lawyer Babar Awan alleged his shopper’s home was raided late at night time with no search warrant. “He was blindfolded and handled like a terrorist,” Awan advised Al Jazeera, including that the nation had turn into “fascist”.
Swati’s tweet on Wednesday night was in response to a court docket within the metropolis of Lahore acquitting incumbent Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz in a cash laundering case.
In his submit, the 66-year-old senator addressed Bajwa, congratulating him for his “plan” working and saying “criminals” had been going free.
“Mr Bajwa congratulations to you and few with you. Your plan is admittedly working, and all criminals are getting free at value of this nation. With these thugs getting free, you have got legitimise (sic) corruption. How you are expecting now the way forward for this nation?” he posted.
Mr Bajwa congratulations to you and few with you . Your plan is admittedly working and all criminals are getting free at value of this nation . With these thugs getting free You will have legitimise corruption . How you are expecting now the way forward for this nation ? pic.twitter.com/uZgHQjZ7lJ
— Senator Azam Khan Swati (@AzamKhanSwatiPk) October 12, 2022
The FIA, which arrested Swati underneath a cybercrime regulation, in its first data report (FIR) stated his tweet was a “calculated tried” to sow “hatred in thoughts of individuals and armed forces personnel towards the Military Chief and Pakistan military”.
“Such intimidating tweets of blaming and naming is a mischievous act of subversion to create a rift between personnel of the armed forces and an try to hurt the state of Pakistan,” the FIR stated.
Pakistan’s army has dominated over the nation for greater than half of its 75 years of existence as an impartial nation. Many think about the establishment because the nation’s actual centre of political energy.
The PTI’s relations with the military have been tenuous since Khan was faraway from workplace in April this yr by means of a parliamentary vote.
The cricketing icon-turned-politician accused Pakistan’s political and army institution of colluding with the USA to topple his authorities, an allegation denied by each Islamabad and Washington.
Talking to reporters earlier than he was introduced earlier than a court docket in Islamabad on Thursday, Swati stated his solely crime was naming the military chief in his tweet, for which he had been arrested. He later advised the court docket he had been subjected to custodial torture by policemen in plain garments.
The Islamabad court docket remanded the politician to police custody for 2 days.
The PTI occasion has demanded his earliest launch, with senior occasion chief Fawad Chaudhry calling the arrest “a harmful development in Pakistan”.
“Stories of torture on Azam Swati are disturbing. Torturing political prisoners has turn into a brand new regular in Pakistan,” he tweeted.
In one other tweet, PTI chief Taimur Jhagra demanded early parliamentary elections, in any other case due in late 2023.
“Our residents see a political mess, an financial mess and the ridiculing of accountability. Time to bear the political criticism that is available in at present’s polarised Pakistan. The reply is elections, not worry by means of arrests,” he tweeted.
In August, senior PTI chief and shut Khan aide Shahbaz Gill was arrested for sedition and different expenses for remarks made throughout a TV present. He was granted bail after 5 weeks in custody.
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