IHC issues notice over Swati’s plea for bail

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Monday issued a notice to the state during the hearing of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Azam Swati’s post-arrest bail petition in the ‘controversial tweets cases’ against him.

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.

IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq issued notices to the respondents and adjourned the hearing till January 2, 2023. Swati had filed a plea seeking release on bail in the 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.—Awais Yousafzai