Azam Swati case: Court annoyed over prosecutor's lack of preparation

• Court tells prosecutor to present arguments on Thursday.
• "You are not a child who needs to be given time to prepare," judge tells prosecutor. 
• Babar Awan raises questions on FIA's arrest.

ISLAMABAD: A Islamabad court on Monday expressed anger over the prosecutor's request seeking more time to prepare arguments in the "controversial tweets" case against PTI leader Azam Swati. 

The hearing on the bail plea filed by Swati took place today, during which the special court's judge told prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi to present his arguments on Thursday.  

"You are not a child who needs to be given time to prepare," the judge told Abbasi when he asked for time. 

Swati was sent to jail on judicial remand on Monday. He was presented before senior civil judge Muhammad Shabbir’s court after the expiry of his extended one-day physical remand.

The PTI leader was taken into custody by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Cybercrime Wing from his home in Islamabad on October 13, after which he was presented before senior civil judge Shabbir Bhatti's court in the federal capital which approved a two-day remand.

The agency's cybercrime wing registered a case against Swati later over the "controversial" tweets.

Today's hearing

During the hearing, Swati's counsel Babar Awan said that the FIR states that the senator's tweet is considered against Pakistan's integrity. 

"The tweet was published at 7pm and the FIR was filed at 1am, when and where did the inquiry take place?" he questioned. 

Awan asked how can the FIA arrest someone without inquiry. 

He contended that as per the legal requirements, first notice is issued and then an FIR is registered. In this case, the action was taken before the inquiry, he said. 

"Any statement given by a political figure cannot impact Pakistan's armed forces," he said. 

He highlighted that the chief justice and the judiciary in a case said that a single tweet cannot harm the institutions of Pakistan. 

"You should focus on the non-bailable clauses [in the FIR] and not on the bailable ones," the judge remarked. 

At this, Awan said that the government is the same and he could take someone else's side tomorrow. 

After Awan completed his arguments, the judge invited the prosecutor to present his arguments. However, he requested time to present his arguments. 

"You are not a child who needs to be given time to prepare," the judge told Abbasi when he asked for time and asked him to be ready on Thursday.