Captain Safdar’s bail plea rejected

LAHORE: A magisterial court on Saturday rejected the bail plea of PML-N leader Captain (Retired) Muhammad Safdar Awan who was accused of delivering speeches against state institutions.

The accused’s counsel, Advocate Syed Farhad Ali Shah, told the court that PML-N’s leaders were being subjected of political victimisation. During case proceedings, he raised some objections, telling the court it was astonishing enough that police registered an FIR against accused Safdar Awan despite the fact that hate speech on social media comes under the ambit of the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA).

He also told the court about the alleged malafide intention behind the registration of the FIR, saying the report was first registered against section 16MPO, but later sections 506-B and 124-A of the PPC were inserted. The counsel Farhad Shah maintained that police deliberately inserted the 506 and 124 merely to take his client towards the maximum sentence. It is worth mentioning that accused Safdar had visited Maryam Nawaz on her case proceedings when a scuffle erupted between police and Safdar. Islampura police registered an FIR against him. Later, the accused’s bail was confirmed by the additional district and sessions judge.

After attending proceedings, he allegedly went to the bar room where he delivered a hate speech against state institutions to a few unknown people.

He further incited people to come on the roads and launch a movement against the government to send it packing.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 27^th, 2019.