Controversial tweets case: Swati's counsel questions FIR without inquiry

The court of the special judge central in Islamabad on Wednesday expressed annoyance over the prosecutor for asking for time to prepare arguments on a plea seeking PTI Senator Azam Khan Swati's bail in the controversial tweets   case.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) took Swati into custody from his home in Islamabad earlier, and presented him before senior civil judge Shabbir Bhatti's court in the federal capital.

The agency's cybercrime wing had registered a case against Swati  over his "controversial" tweets against state institutions.

The politician is   currently in jail on judicial remand. 

At the outset of today's 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 the FIA can arrest someone without an inquiry.

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

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

"The judiciary and Pakistani agencies are not so weak that they stumble due to a tweet," Awan quoted the chief justice of Pakistan as remarking in a case.

At this, the judge rebuked Awan and told him to focus on the non-bailabe clauses included in the case instead of giving arguments on the bailable ones.

After the completion of arguments by Swati's lawyer Babar Awan, the court sought arguments from Prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi over the plea on Thursday.

"You are not a child that you are granted time for preparation," the judge reprimanded the prosecutor.