PTI's Raoof Hasan arrested in 'terrorism' case, sent on 2-day physical remand

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) Information Secretary Raoof Hasan, who is already under the custody of the FIA over charges of running a digital anti-state campaign, has been arrested in a terrorism case on Wednesday. 

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad on Tuesday approved his two-day physical remand. 

The move comes after a district and sessions court in the federal capital sent the PTI media head, along with other suspects, on a 14-day judicial remand on charges of pulling the strings of an anti-state social media propaganda network.

On July 22, a police contingent along with officials of the country's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) stormed the party secretariat in Islamabad and detained Hasan along with the party's acting chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, who was later released.

It was later confirmed that Ahmad Waqas Janjua, the party's coordinator for international media coverage, was also among the detained.

New case

“The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of the police arrested the PTI leader in a new case,” the prosecutor said.

The ATC in its order said that the court was requested for a five-day physical remand to interrogate Hasan in connection with the statement of the co-accused, Janjua, who revealed the existence of a terror-mongering network, according to the prosecutor.

A day earlier, Janjua was sent to jail on judicial remand in an arms recovery case at the end of a seven-day physical remand.

In the previous hearing, Janjua's counsel Iman Mazari informed the ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra that her client was abducted on July 20 at 4am.

Another of Janjua’s lawyers told the court that his client was accused of instigation on social media but was booked on terrorism charges.

Defence counsel Ali Bukhari told the court that he was not clear about when Hasan was arrested by the CTD as the PTI leader was in judicial custody in the FIA case until yesterday.

To this, the ATC judge said the PTI leader was "made a part of the investigation" from the court's compound.

“It means that Hasan was arrested yesterday even though he had been in the FIA's custody for the past eight days,” Bukhari said.

The public prosecutor clarified that Hasan was not booked in the terrorism-related case, adding that he was arrested in light of the statement with terror charges against him.

He added that “Janjua in his statement has confessed to receiving Rs300,000 from Hasan to spread terror”.

The charges in the FIA case against the 12 suspects — two of whom are women — include sections 9 (glorification of an offence), 10 (cyber-terrorism), and 11 ) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca).

Moreover, suspects Afaq Ahmed Alvi, Hameedullah, Rashid Mahmood, Zeeshan Farooq, Syed Osama, Mohammad Rizwan Afzal, Mohammad Rafiq, Syed Hamza, Farhat Khalid, and Iqra were also picked up by FIA in the case. They face charges including glorification of an offence, cyber-terrorism, hate speech, etc.

Hasan's counsel argued that physical remand was not mandatory to recover the money, adding that his client's mobile phones and laptop were already in the FIA's custody. Hence, physical remand is out of the question, Bukhari said, concluding his argument.

The judge ordered the CTD authorities to produce Hasan on August 2, directing them to take special care of him with daily medical check-ups as he was unwell.

Former prime minister Khan has been in jail for about one year, even though all four convictions handed down to him ahead of a parliamentary election in February have either been suspended or overturned.

After being acquitted on the last of those four convictions, authorities rearrested Khan and his wife in an old corruption case on charges of selling state gifts unlawfully. He also faces an accusation of inciting his supporters to attack military installations last year.

Khan denies all the accusations against him.

His party secured the largest number of seats in parliament in the February election despite what Khan's party says is a military-backed crackdown that aims to keep him out of power.