LAHORE: A sessions court on Friday granted interim pre-arrest bail to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Azam Swati in a case of uploading hate material against state institutions on the internet.

Mr Swati appeared in court with his lawyer.

The counsel told the court that his client wanted to join the investigation before the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to prove his innocence in the ‘fabricated’ case.

The court allowed bail to Swati till May 21 and directed him to join the investigation before the next hearing.

The court also issued a notice to the FIA for submission of the record of the case against the petitioner.

The FIA cybercrime wing had registered the case against Swati on charges of spreading hate material against the state institutions on social media.

The other day, an anti-terrorism court granted pre-arrest bail to Swati in six cases of the May 9 riots.

He had been living in hiding for almost a year since the attacks on the military installations and other public and private properties against the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan in a graft case by the NAB.

He had also been declared a proclaimed offender in various cases of the May 9 protests for not joining the investigation and the proceedings before the courts.

Swati recently ended his self-disappearance and surrendered in the cases against him after securing a protective bail from the Peshawar High Court.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2024