SHC circuit bench bars police from rearresting Azam Swati

The Sindh High Court (SHC) Hyderabad circuit bench Tuesday restrained the police and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from rearresting Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) incarcerated Senator Azam Swati in the cases registered against him within the limits of the Hyderabad region till January 11.

A two-member bench of the court, comprising Justice Adnanul Karim and Justice Mahmood A Khan, issued the order while taking up petitions filed against the 74-year-old senator for his controversial tweets against the senior military officers.

The circuit bench served notices to the Sindh inspector-general of police (IGP), Hyderabad deputy inspector-general (DIG) and FIA, directing them to submit the details of the cases lodged against the incarcerated senator on the next hearing.

At the outset of today’s hearing, Swati’s counsel argued that cases were registered against his client in the different districts of the Hyderabad region.

“Registration of multiple cases on the same issue is a violation of the Supreme Court’s orders,” he claimed.

The lawyer further said that perhaps cases were registered against his client across the country, adding that three FIRs were registered against Swati in Hyderabad, Mithi and Nawabshah.

He pleaded with the court to grant relief to his client within the jurisdiction of the court.

Meanwhile, the court barred the police from rearresting the PTI leader on the FIRs lodged in the Hyderabad region.

Controversial tweets 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 14, after he posted a highly-hateful and threatening message against the army chief, judiciary, and other state institutions, on his official Twitter account.

The senator had secured bail in that case. But on November 27, FIA once again arrested Swati for using abusive language against senior military officers, including former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa.

On December 2, Balochistan police arrested Swati for a similar case registered against him in Quetta.

At the time of his arrest, he was already on judicial remand in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, following his detention for a second time in the controversial tweets case. He was then shifted to Quetta under a transit remand acquired by the Balochistan police.

However, the Balochistan High Court had issued directives not to register any more cases against Swati in the province and cancel all existing FIRs against him in the province.

But on December 9, Balochistan police handed over Swati to Sindh police.