A judicial magistrate in Islamabad on Sunday approved two-day judicial remand of PTI leader and former federal minister Azam Swati and handed him over to the FIA, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had arrested Azam Swati again early in the morning from his farmhouse in Chak Shahzad of Islamabad in connection with his controversial tweets he uploaded a few days ago.
The FIA produced Azam Swati before the judicial magistrate around mid-day and sought his physical remand for eight days.
Duty Judge Waqas Ahmad Raja first reserved his ruling and later pronounced his verdict sending Azam Swati into FIA custody on physical remand for two days.
The investigation officer told the judge that Azam Swati was arrested in connection with his objectionable tweets and he did not deny them. Azam Swati has committed this crime for second time, the officer added.
Azam Swati’s lawyer Babar Awan informed the court that the tweets are not in accordance with the sections mentioned in the FIR under which the former minister was arrested.
He said the statement recorded by the police has no legal status as it was not recorded before a majistrate.
Babar Awan further said Swat was brutally tortured last time and he is still recuperating from it. Swati still carries the marks of physical and mental toture, Awan added.
He further told the court that Azam Swat’s life is in danger.
Raid on farmhouse
Earlier, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has again arrested senior PTI leader and former federal minister Senator Azam Swati in Islamabad.
The three-member FIA team raided Azam Swati’s farmhouse in Chak Shahzad for uploading controversial posts on Twitter and took him into custody early Sunday.
Sources said the FIA’s Cybercrime Wing arrested Azam Swati for using indecent language against state institutions.
This was the second time that the PTI leader had been arrested by the FIA officers for his controversial tweets.
FIR lodged
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) registered a case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and Senator Azam Swati over his controversial remarks.
The case was registered by the cybercrime wing of the FIA on the complaint of the agency’s Technical Assistant Aneesur Rehman under Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Peca) Act.
Last month, the FIA had taken Azam Swati into custody from his home in Islamabad and presented him before a court.
The PTI senator had been granted bail in the case against surety bonds worth Rs1 million.
The government had challenged Swati’s bail by approaching the Islamabad High Court and sought the cancellation of Swati's bail in the case.
Imran slams Azam Swati’s arrest as state fascism
In his reaction to Azam Swati’s arrest, Imran Khan has slammed the government’s action saying the country is fast descending into a fascist state.
In a couple of tweets uploaded on Sunday morning, Imran Khan said “I am shocked and appalled at how rapidly we are descending into not just a banana republic but a fascist state. How can anyone not understand the pain and suffering Senator Swati underwent with custodial torture and blackmailing video of him and his conservative wife sent to his family?”
The PTI chief further said “His justifiable anger and frustration at the injustice meted out to him especially the doors of Supreme Court remaining closed to him despite over a fortnight of appeals by Senators in support of him. So, he tweets and is arrested again. Everyone must raise their voice against this state fascism.”
Reporters Ehtisham Kiyani, Farzana Siddque and Tayyab Saif