Arrest warrants issued against Azam Swati

ATC grants permanent bail to Asad Umar

ISLAMABAD:

A special court in Islamabad issued non-bailable arrest warrants on Tuesday against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Azam Swati at the request of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

The warrants were issued after Swati failed to appear before the court for indictment in a case pertaining to his controversial tweets. Swati’s lawyer told the court that he was not in contact with his client.

The lawyer opposed Special Prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi’s request for the issuance of non-bailable arrest warrants against Swati, arguing that the law for non-bailable arrest warrants “is very different”.

The lawyer for the FIA told the court that Azam Swati did not appear before the court intentionally. Later, the court issued the warrants against Swati.

Asad Umar granted bail

Meanwhile, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad granted permanent bail to former PTI secretary general Asad Umar in a case of setting government vehicles ablaze, attacking police and snatching their official weapons.

Read Judicial complex clashes case: Azam Swati granted pre-arrest bail

Islamabad’s Golra Sharif police station has booked Umar as well as PTI Chairman Imran Khan and others in the case, pertaining to the violence during PTI chairman’s appearance in the district and sessions court on March 18 in the Toshakhana case.

During the hearing the newly-appointed prosecutor presented fresh arguments before the court on Umar’s request for permanent bail. ATC judge Raja Jawad Abbas questioned the need for arrest over charges of instigation.

The prosecutor maintained that it was important to take Umar into custody for conducting the investigation. However, the arguments failed to move the judge as he allowed permanent bail to Umar.