Swati declared proclaimed offender

A special court in Islamabad on Monday declared the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former federal minister, Azam Swati, a proclaimed offender in the controversial tweets case filed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) last year.

Special Judge Central Islamabad Shahrukh Arjumand ordered that Swati be arrested immediately and produced as soon as his whereabouts are ascertained.

Earlier in May, the same special court issued non-bailable arrest warrants against the PTI leader at the FIA’s request.

Then 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 then apprised the court that Swati did not appear before the court intentionally. Later, the court issued the warrants against Swati.