Controversial tweets case: PTI’s Azam Swati finally walks free on bail

• Azam Swati has finally been released after over a month.
• A day earlier, IHC granted him bail against surety bonds of Rs200,000.
• Swati was booked in multiple cases across country for his controversial tweets against senior military officers.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Senator Azam Swati has finally been released from jail in connection with the case of controversial tweets.

A day earlier, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted bail to Swati but he could not be released due to the unavailability of the court’s written orders about his bail. The court accepted the PTI leader's bail application against surety bonds of Rs200,000.

Earlier today, Swati’s counsels presented the receipt of the surety bonds and a copy of the ruling in the court of Special Judge Central. Meanwhile, the judge issued his release orders.

However, after completing the legal process, the PTI leader’s lawyers reached Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) Centre Islamabad as the office was declared as sub-jail. After receiving the legal documents, the authorities released Swati.

Swati has been behind bars since November 27, when he was arrested for the second time for using abusive language against the top military brass, including former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa. The septuagenarian hurled swear words at Bajwa.

Swati had filed a plea seeking release on bail in IHC in relation to the case filed against him on November 26. His earlier plea, filed on December 21, was dismissed by trial court judge Azam Khan, who said that the senator had committed the same offence twice.

In his application, the senator stated that he did not post derogatory remarks against any institutions. He added that the prosecution has no proof against him despite an investigation.

The application read that Swati is 75 years old and a heart patient and that jailing him would be a sentence without conviction as all evidence against him is documentary.

The cases

Swati was booked in multiple cases across the country for his controversial tweets against senior military officers.

Initially, the senator was arrested by the FIA on October 13 after he posted a hateful and threatening message against the then-army chief, judiciary, and other state institutions on his official Twitter account.

He had secured bail in that case, but on November 27, the FIA arrested him again for using abusive language against the top military brass, including Gen Bajwa.

On December 2, Balochistan police arrested Swati in a similar case registered against him in Quetta. At the time of his arrest, he was already on judicial remand in Adiala Jail and was shifted to Quetta under a transit remand acquired by the Balochistan police.

Later, the Balochistan High Court (BHC) ordered the quashing of all cases registered against the senator in the province. Once BHC issued the order, the Sindh Police took the senator into custody over the issue of controversial tweets.

The senator then approached the Sindh High Court for bail. The court also directed the quashing of all cases registered against the senator in the province.

Following the orders, Islamabad Police took the senator into its custody and brought him to the federal capital. He is still in custody.