Controversial tweets: Court issues Swati’s non-bailable arrest warrant

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Senator Azam Swati’s non-bailable arrest warrant was issued on Tuesday in a controversial tweets case after he failed to show up in an Islamabad court.

Special Judge Central Azam Khan issued warrant on the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) request over Swati’s failure to appear before the court.

During the hearing of the case earlier today, the court also postponed Swati's indictment in the case due to his absence.

FIA prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi asked the court to issue Swati's non-bailable arrest warrants as he did not appear before the court.

"We acted on the warrants [issued earlier]. However, Azam Swati was not at his residence when [the officials] arrived there," the investigating officer said.

When asked in this regard, Swati's lawyer expressed ignorance about Swati’s whereabouts and said he could not contact his client.

The judge, adjourning the hearing briefly, summoned the officer who was sent to Swati's home.

When the hearing resumed, Imtiaz, the FIA officer who was summoned, appeared before the court.

He informed the court that neither Swati was present at home nor did anyone open the residence's gate when he went there.

Then, the prosecutor reiterated his request to issue Swati's non-bailable arrest warrants. Abbasi told the judge that in today's era of electronic media, people are aware of events as they happen.

Swati's lawyer intervened and said that cases of politicians who left PTI after addressing press conferences were disposed of. He asked the court to ensure that before it issues non-bailable arrest warrants, it should first ask law enforcers to follow up on the bailable arrest warrants.

"A high court ruling has set a precedence that [authorities] should first comply with bailable arrest warrants," he said.