PEMRA imposes ban on Swati’s speeches, pressers
The Federal Investigation Agency Sunday morning arrested PTI Senator Azam Swati over strongly worded tweets against senior military officials and was produced before the judicial magistrate who approved two-day physical remand.
The PTI leader was taken into custody from his farmhouse located in Chak Shahzad, a suburb situated in Islamabad, by three-member FIA team, hours after his party staged a power-show in Rawalpindi.
The politician has been arrested for second time in more than a month as he secured post-arrest bail in controversial tweets case from a court in the capital city last month.
The FIA has registered a first information report on the complaint of the state through Islamabad Cyber Crime Reporting Centre Technical Assistant Aneesur Rehman. He was previously arrested by the FIA in October for a controversial tweet thought to be against the armed forces.
Since he was released on bail, the senator has maintained that he was allegedly tortured in custody and has demanded the removal of two military officials, one of whom he used foul language against in his tweet.
A first information report was registered by the FIA on the complaint of the state through Islamabad Cyber Crime Reporting Centre Technical Assistant Aneesur Rehman.
The complaint was registered under Section 20 of the Prevention of Electronic Crime Act 2016 (Peca) 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).
The FIR said that such “intimidating tweets of blaming and naming” were a “mischievous act of subversion to create a rift between personnel of armed forces to harm the state of Pakistan”.
The FIR noted that a similar complaint had been filed against the senator in the past, adding that Swati attempted to “provoke” the general public and personnel of armed forces by trying to create “a feeling of ill-will among the pillars of the state”.
Swati “violated the privacy and intimated by using false information” which was likely to incite any officer, soldier, sailor or airman to mutiny or otherwise disregard or fail in his duty, the FIR said, adding that the remarks were also likely to cause “fear or alarm” in the public.
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority has banned the broadcast of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Senator Azam Swati’s live speeches and press conferences.
According to the PEMRA declaration, the press conference, media coverage, statement, or tickers of Azam Khan Swati will also be banned.
The PEMRA has also restrained TV channels from inviting Senator Azam Khan Swati to the talk shows.
Senate’s Standing Committee on Interior on Sunday took notice of the arrest of PTI leader and Senator Azam Swati and summoned Director General Federal Investigation Agency Mohsin Hassan Butt.
The Senate panel took strong notice and asked DG FIA to appear before the interior committee on Monday.
