ISLAMABAD -UNS- PTI Chief Imran Khan has that he had hoped the new military leadership would have “immediately disassociated” itself from the eight months of the previous army chief’s “action against the PTI” as he criticised the arrest of party Senator Azam Swati.
Condemning the “vindictive” treatment of the senator in a series of tweets today, Imran asked: “The entire nation is shocked at the vindictive cruelty Senator Azam Swati is being subjected to and for what crime? For intemperate language and asking questions which is the right of anyone in a democracy?”
The PTI chief said that internationally, Pakistan and especially “our military is being perceived increasingly negatively because the present imported government is seen as a mere puppet government”.
“One had hoped the new military leadership would have immediately disassociated from the 8 months of Bajwa’s fascist actions against PTI, the media and critical journalists.”
Imran demanded that Swati — who he said was a heart patient — should be immediately released.
“Not only because he has committed no crime to deserve this mental and physical torture, but also because this petulant and vengeful targeting is undermining our military’s credibility which is critical for a strong Pakistan,” the former premier added.
Swati was arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on November 27 — for the second time in less than two months — over a “highly obnoxious campaign of intimidating tweets […] against state institutions”.
Separate first information reports (FIRs) were registered against the PTI leader in Balochistan and Sindh as well for using “derogatory language” and “provoking the people against the army”.
On Friday, Swati was shifted to Quetta aboard a special flight amid tight security after the judicial magistrate of Islamabad handed over his custody to the Balochistan police. From the Quetta airport, he was taken to an unknown place.
Imran warns to ‘go after’ those behind Swati’s arrest
Separately, in an address to the Parliamentary Party of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Imran warned that “if something happens to Swati, we will go after everyone responsible for arresting him”.
He said that what happened with the PTI senator was the highest level of oppression. “What was his fault? All he did was tweet […] and he was tortured for that.
“He was first beaten up in front of his grandchildren and then, on orders of Dirty Harry, he was stripped naked and tortured,” the PTI chief claimed, saying that any person would be angry if such a treatment was meted out at them.
