The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) early Sunday morning arrested PTI Senator Azam Swati — the second time in less than two months — over strongly worded tweets against senior military officials.
He was previously arrested by the FIA in October for a controversial tweet thought to be against the armed forces.
Since he was released on bail, the senator has maintained that he was allegedly tortured in custody and has demanded the removal of two military officials, one of whom he used foul language against in his tweet yesterday.
A first information (FIR) report was registered by the FIA on the complaint of the state through Islamabad Cyber Crime Reporting Centre (CCRC) Technical Assistant Aneesur Rehman.
The complaint was registered under Section 20 of the Prevention of Electronic Crime Act 2016 (Peca) which deals with offences against dignity of a person as well as Sections 131 (abetting mutiny or attempting to seduce a soldier from his duty),500 (punishment for defamation), 501 (defamation and printing of content deemed defamatory), Section 505 (statement conducing to public mischief) and 109 (abetment) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
According to the FIR, Swati and three other Twitter accounts — @Wolf1Ak, @HaqeeqatTV_20 and @Azaadi99 — “with malafide intentions and ulterior motives, started [a] highly obnoxious campaign of intimidating tweets […] against state institutions” and senior government functionaries, including outgoing army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
It said that on Nov 26, Swati shared a tweet wherein he stated that he would go after a senior military official at every forum. It went on to say that on Nov 19, @Azaadi99 shared a tweet in which held generals responsible for the country’s destruction to which Swati replied with “thank you”.
Further, @Wolf1Ak on Nov 24 stated that “tabdeeli” had to begin by clearing the filth of the “corrupt generals” from the institution, to which Swati again replied with “thank you”.
The complaint said that on Nov 24 @HaqeeqatTV_20 tweeted about a word for those on their way out to which the senator responded with strong language.
The FIR said that such “intimidating tweets of blaming and naming” were a “mischievous act of subversion to create a rift between personnel of armed forces to harm the state of Pakistan”.
The senator also said that he completed his speech at the party's rally in Rawalpindi held a day earlier and came back home, adding that he is not a fugitive and that he did not go to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).
He furthered that his party has come out in favour of the rule of law and against oppression.
During his talk, the senator also alleged that officers take orders directly from the COAS, urging people all over the world to take to the streets for rule of law.
Swati added that he is ready to go to the police station himself because the right way was being followed during his arrest today.
Referring to his 'custodial torture' during the previous arrest, the senator said “torturing and undressing after the arrest is wrong”.
“The dignified manner in which Azam Swati conducted himself as he was arrested today shows he is fighting for a principle. You can disagree with his choice of words or even his views, but you cannot disagree with him that whatever happens must do so within [the] ambit of law,” Umar stated.
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) on Sunday issued a prohibition order in reference to Swati’s speech at the party’s rally a day earlier.
The order prohibits broadcast and re-broadcast of speech(es)/press conferences/media Swati (as guest in any talk show, any statement or tickers) on all satellite TV channels with immediate effect.
The order by the regulatory authority stated that the “speech was aired on various satellite TV channels, wherein he has made aspersions against the state institutions by leveling baseless allegations. Referred speech, apparently, went on air without any editorial control and effective utilization of delay mechanism. Whereas, airing of such content is a willful violation of PEMRA’s directives issued on 28-10-2022, 09-05-2022, 16-05-2022, 09-08-2022, 29-08-2022, 31-08-2022, 02-09-2022& 05-09-2022 as well as PEMRA laws which explicitly refrain all the licensees from telecasting any content in any manner against state institutions.
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