Islamabad – PTI leader Azam Khan Swati was produced at ATC Islamabad on Friday, where, according to the directions issued by the Islamabad High Court, he was sent to judicial lockup in judicial custody in 07 FIRs by ATC-II Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra.
During the court proceedings, the investigation officer of PS Margalla appeared at the rostrum and informed the court that there was another FIR, No 648, registered against Azam Swati, and they were seeking judicial remand of the accused in this FIR. Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra who was presiding over the hearing asked the IO if this FIR was given to Islamabad High Court when they sought a record of all the FIRs filed against Azam Swati to which the IO replied, no it wasn’t but the police had taken strict action against the Moharrar and a departmental inquiry had also been initiated against him. Judge Sipra accepted the application and sent Azam Swati on judicial remand in that FIR as well. After ATC, police took Azam Swati to District Courts Islamabad, where he appeared in the court of Judge Humaira Afzal, who also ordered Azam Swati to be sent to judicial custody as per the directions of IHC. A new FIR No 844 surfaced at District Courts Islamabad against Azam Swati which was also not presented before Islamabad High Court. Judge Mubashar Hassan discharged Azam Swati from that FIR.
Azam Swati was arrested on October 5th during the PTI protest in which KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur led a procession from Peshawar to Islamabad. Prosecutor General Islamabad told the Islamabad High Court that 10 new FIRs were registered against Azam Swati when the IHC sought records of all the FIRs against Azam Swati. These two FIRs were somehow not shared with Islamabad High Court on October 11th even though they were registered on October 5th. Adv Sohail Khan Swati, during the court proceedings, argued before the court that this was complete malafide on behalf of Islamabad Police, and he would file a contempt of court application against Islamabad Police for hiding 2 FIRs from IHC. Adv Sohail Khan Swati told The Nation that all the FIRs against Azam Swati had the same script of financially helping the protestors to create terrorism and chaos in Islamabad during the protests.
Azam Swati, during the proceedings, argued before the ATC that Islamabad Police arrested illegal Afghans from the Sabzi Mandi area of Islamabad and took video statements from them in front of our people that Azam Swati had paid them money to come out on the streets and do vandalism.
