Swati reportedly shifted to Kuchlak Jail overnight

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) leader Senator Azam Swati was allegedly transferred to Kuchlak on Friday morning by Balochistan police, according to Express News.

Hours after the news started making rounds, the Senator's daughter Farah Swati said he suffered "chest pains" and "breathing issues" on Thursday night and was shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) early this morning.

However, she added that he was later discharged "before his lab results came back" and was taken into custody by Quetta police.

She also revealed that the family had been informed that Swati had been taken to Quetta as she pleaded with the nation for its support and "raise a voice" for her father.

About a week ago, the senator was taken into custody for the second time after a raid at his farmhouse in Chak Shahzad, Islamabad, by the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cyber Crime Wing for allegedly tweeting against senior military officials.

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A district and sessions court had a day earlier sent the senator to jail on a 14-day judicial remand in the case

However, according to sources, the PTI leader was not transferred to Adiala jail until late last night and was subsequently arrested by Balochistan police on a case registered against him in Quetta for making a 'controversial speech' in Rawalpindi.

The police then proceeded to transfer Swati via a special flight from Islamabad airport to Balochistan where he was ultimately taken to Kuchlak.

Multiple cases had been registered against the Senator, including in Sindh and Balochistan which he claimed earlier this week he only learned about after being handed over to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on physical remand.

IHC reserves judgment

Meanwhile, in a separate development, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) reserved its decision against Swati's counsel Babar Awan's request to block the Senator's transfer to other locations.

IHC Chief Justice Amir Farooq heard the petition seeking information on all cases registered against Swati.

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Additional Attorney General (AAG) Munawar Iqbal Dugal informed the court that after the 18th Amendment “there is no law whereby the Interior Ministry could request a report”.

“Do you have any administrative control or not?” the court inquired to which the AAG responded by saying that the centre can maintain “coordination” with the province over police-related policies however “the federal government has no authority to give directions to the provincial government".

“We can provide information related to the FIA,” he added, “but how many cases are registered in the provinces, we cannot obtain such information.”

Awan, however, argued that all human rights issues are “policy matters” and therefore the centre can obtain such information from the provinces.

“If this is the case then neither will they be able to write letters nor host press conferences,” he retorted adding that "then [the federal government should] take a clear stance that it has no authority beyond Faizabad”.

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"There might be hundreds of cases registered against me," the lawyer continued, "but to defend myself in those cases is my legal right. At least let him know how many cases there are."

Awan then went on to request the court to block Swati's transfer to any other location until it was revealed how many cases have been registered against him.

The court has reserved judgment on the issue.

Transfer of cases

Swati’s lawyer Babar Awan on Thursday had approached the Supreme Court for the transfer of all cases filed against his client in Sindh and Balochistan.

The federation, director general of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and inspector general of Sindh and Balochistan were made parties in the plea.

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Swati, stated in his petition, that the federal agency arrested him in a false case, adding that multiple cases were registered against him in the country.

Swati added that he faces a security threat when appearing for cases registered against him in different parts of the country.

In such a case, the senator appealed to the apex court to order the consolidation and transfer of his cases registered against him in Sindh and Balochistan to Islamabad.

The senator appealed to the court that the "operation of FIRs" registered against him be suspended till his plea is heard.