ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Senator Azam Swati, who alleged custodial torture during his detention by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) over a controversial tweet about army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, recorded his statement before the Supreme Court’s Human Rights Cell on Monday.

During the hearing of a contempt case against PTI Chairman Imran Khan, Senator Swati, who had repeatedly sought the top court’s intervention over the treatment meted out to him, was told to “be brave” by the apex court.

As he appeared at the rostrum, Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial told Mr Swati to approach the human rights cell which was already probing the matter after taking up his application filed last week.

Azam Swati asked the court if he could show the “obscene” video clip his family received to the judges of the top court. The CJP responded that these were private matters and the court could not do much at this stage unless the matter gets matured; therefore, the senator should record his statement before HRC first so that required procedures could kick off.

CJ Bandial also asked the senator to “be brave”, adding: “The court knows he must be having a number of adversaries at this time.”

There is so much false material that the truth is buried underneath many layers of lies, the CJP regretted. He added in order to excavate the truth, the court would need to take one step at a time.

Later, Azam Swati along with Senator Shibli Faraz and Dr Shahzad Waseem went to the HRC office to record his statement. “Gross violation of my fundamental right to due process, dignity, privacy and sanctity of the home has taken place which I want to bring to your kind notice so that appropriate and exemplary action may be taken,” said the seven-page application submitted to human rights cell by Mr Swati last week.

Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2022