QUETTA: Senior leader and PTI Senator Azam Swati has been remanded into the custody of Quetta Police for five days. Balochistan Police on December 2 had taken the custody of Senator Swati from PIMS Islamabad where he was admitted after experiencing chest pain, a day after FIA told Islamabad court it needed no more investigation and agreed to his judicial remand.
سابق ڈپٹی اسپیکر قاسم خان سوری ڈسٹرکٹ کوٹ کوئٹہ میں اعظم سواتی کے ساتھ کورٹ میں پیش ہوتے ہوئے#ReleaseAzamSwati pic.twitter.com/7Clr9BaZ2Y
— PTI UK (@UKPTIOfficial) December 4, 2022
Also read: Balochistan Police takes custody of Senator Azam Swati, shifts him to Quetta
Azam Swati was flown to Quetta, reportedly on a private jet, after which he was kept in Kuchlak Jail, just outside the provincial capital. The move was severely criticized by party leaders as well as members of civil society.
Also read: Quetta police endangered Azam Swati’s life: Imran Khan
The 74 year old Azam Swati was produced before duty magistrate Abdul Satar Bugti this morning in Quetta where police demanded his 10 days of physical remand in case pertaining to alleged controversial speeches and tweets. Azam Swati’s lawyer Iqbal Shah advocate told media that the magistrate granted 5 days of physical remand.
Iqbal Shah advocate said lodging more than one FIRs against a single incident was illegal, and the same would be challenged in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He said even media wasn’t allowed to cover the court’s proceedings, and such curbs were also illegal.
https://twitter.com/Ghanikakar/status/1599309455816024065
Speaking to media after today’s court proceedings, former speaker NA Qasim Suri said registration of various FIRs against Azam Khan Swati was unconstitutional and a serious violation of civil rights. “Government is treating Azam Swati like terrorists while trampling under the law and elements involved in economic terrorism have been given free rein,” he added.
