PTI senator Azam Swati released from sub-jail

The PTI senator remained behind bars for over a month for using abusive language against the military top brass

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Azam Swati was released from a sub-jail in Islamabad on Tuesday, a month after he was detained for using abusive language on social media against the military top brass.

Swati was greeted by a crowd of PTI workers, who had gathered outside the Islamabad CIA Centre Nine office from where he was released.

"Insha'Allah, my determination is that of a soldier of the Captain (Imran Khan)," he said, speaking to the media after being released.

"This is a message for those who arrested me. These hands, my body, my bones will not break easily. No matter how much injustice you carry out, your history is being written down. You have been laid bare in front of the nation," he added.

میں اس کپتان کا سپاہی ہوں جس نے ملک کی خاطر اپنے جسم پر گولیاں کھائیں، میرا عزم اپنے کپتان کی طرح بلند ہے۔ @AzamKhanSwatiPk pic.twitter.com/Mcc8eaEp7P

— PTI (@PTIofficial) January 3, 2023

Swati was incarcerated on November 27 after the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) booked him in Islamabad over a “campaign of intimidating tweets against state institutions”, including the former chief of army staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

On Monday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had granted bail to the PTI lawmaker after he filed a petition seeking post-arrest bail.

Also read: IHC grants Swati bail in controversial tweets case

The IHC had ordered his bail in exchange for a bond of Rs200,000.

The FIR against Swati was registered under Section 20 of the Prevention of Electronic Crime Act (Peca) 2016 which deals with offences against dignity of a person as well as Sections 131 (abetting mutiny or attempting to seduce a soldier from his duty), 500 (punishment for defamation), 501 (defamation and printing of content deemed defamatory), Section 505 (statement conducing to public mischief) and 109 (abetment) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

In November, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) prohibited broadcast and rebroadcast of Swati’s speeches, news conferences and his media coverage, including as a guest at a talk show, statements or tickers, on all satellite TV channels with immediate effect.