ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Azam Swati on Tuesdsy was granted bail by an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad in a case registered under terrorism charges following protests and vandalism.
The case, filed at the Sangjani Police Station, accused Swati of inciting protests that led to property damage. Judge Abu Al-Hasanat Muhammad Zulkernain granted post-arrest bail against surety bonds of Rs 20,000, though Swati remains in judicial custody.
Swati’s legal team claims the charges are politically motivated. His detention comes amid ongoing legal proceedings, including an order by another ATC to declare Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur a proclaimed offender in a related case involving vandalism during the Azadi March.
The court, presided by Judge Abu Al-Hasanat Zulqarnain, has summoned Gandapur to appear on November 21 through a newspaper advertisement.
Arrest warrants had already been issued for Gandapur and about 350 PTI leaders and activists, including Azam Swati, Omar Ayub, and Barrister Saif, following their involvement in protests that blocked GT Road.
Swati, along with PTI Chairman Imran Khan and CM Gandapur, faces charges in a murder case involving Constable Abdul Hamid Shah, who died after being injured in a clash with PTI workers.
Gandapur is accused of using state resources for an armed assault against the federal government, while Swati is charged with providing financial support to armed groups.
Further complicating Swati’s legal battles, a case was registered in October against Imran Khan and other PTI leaders, accusing them of inciting violence against the state. The FIR, filed under serious charges of terrorism and rebellion, names several prominent PTI members, including Hamad Azhar, Salman Akram Raja, and Shabbir Gujjar, and alleges that Imran Khan encouraged violent protests from jail.
Last September, Swati accused former Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa of initiating the country’s political turmoil and announced plans to file a writ petition against Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar for corruption.
He also criticized Supreme Court Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s rulings, calling them a “low point in judicial history,” and urged political unity against judicial overreach.
Swati’s legal troubles date back to last year when he was declared a proclaimed offender in a controversial tweets case filed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
Despite multiple arrest warrants and failure to appear in court, Swati’s whereabouts remain unclear, and his lawyer has stated he has not been in contact with his client.
With various legal challenges mounting, Swati continues to face scrutiny amid ongoing political tensions in Pakistan.
