PTI leader Dr Yasmin Rashid petitioned the Lahore registry of the Supreme Court on Thursday to take suo motu notice regarding the “political victimisation” of PTI Senator Azam Swati through “politically motivated cases and lodging of series of FIRs (first information reports)”.
Swati was arrested on Sunday for the second time in less than two months over a “highly obnoxious campaign of intimidating tweets […] against state institutions”.
He had earlier been arrested for different tweets on Oct 13 in which he had named then-army chief, Qamar Javed Bajwa.
The petition, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, asked for immediate notice to be taken on the “illegal arrest” of Swati and the “violation of privacy of [his] home”.
The leader lamented in the petition that Swati was taken into custody by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) again on Nov 27 with “a series of FIRs” registered against him, which the petition declared to be against the Supreme Court’s judgement in the Sughran Bibi case of 2018.
Citing Article 14 of the Constitution (inviolability of dignity of man), the petition questioned its applicability — a question raised by party chief Imran Khan earlier.
It claimed that the senator was tortured in front of his wife and kids, as well as during the custody of the FIA at the hands of the persons named by him in his press conferences.
The petition warned that there is “grave and imminent danger to Swati’s life and also asked for “adequate arrangement for his safety”.
Citing the cases of news anchors Hamid Mir and Dr Shahid Masood, it argued that freedom of speech had been expanded for these cases but the concerned Article 19 was made the reason to arrest Swati.
It further complained about the illegal video recording of Swati with his wife that had “stripped everyone of their robes”.
The petition called for an investigation of all the incidents — beginning from his first arrest to the second — and that those responsible, including the staff of FIA, be “affixed with responsibility”.
‘Our privacy is at risk’
While talking to the media outside the SC registry, Rashid reiterated the claims of the alleged custodial torture of Swati and the offensive video leak, “which made all the women hang their heads down with shame”.
She said, “Imported government should be ashamed; our privacy is at risk.”
Addressing Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, she said, “We have all the records of how you thrashed women.”
Rashid also stated that there was no person worse than Maulana Fazlur Rehman and that the party would make sure to get him punished.
Recalling how policemen dragged her during the PTI’s long march, she sarcastically said that when Imran says to dissolve assemblies, the government refuses.
“I hope that the Chief Justice will take suo motu action,” she added.
Rashid along with other women workers protested at GPO Chowk in Lahore in solidarity with Swati and his family and against the “humiliation of women”.
from The Dawn News - Home https://ift.tt/dQM8s1F
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