CDA seals Azam Swati’s Islamabad farmhouse

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) sealed on Saturday detained Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Azam Swati's farmhouse in Islamabad’s Murree Road over violation of building laws, Aaj News reported.

As per the CDA, the house's basement was not approved in the building plan. The CDA said it issued a show-cause notice to Swati on November 4, 2022, in accordance with the ICT Building Control Regulations 2020.

It further said that a final notice regarding the matter was issued to the senator on November 16, warning that if violations were not removed within seven days, it would seal the farmhouse.

Sindh police take Azam Swati into custody from Quetta

The latest development comes after the Sindh police arrested the PTI senator from Quetta on Friday. Former information minister and senior PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry claimed that Swati was shifted to Larkana before being moved to Qambar Shahdadkot in Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah’s plane.

Swati's arrest came hours after the Balochistan High Court (BHC) directed police to quash all five first information reports (FIRs) registered against him over his controversial tweets against top military officials.

During a hearing on Friday, Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar reprimanded the police for registering multiple cases against Swati. The BHC had also ordered Swati's release.

In October, Swati was arrested for posting tweets against state institutions but let go.

A few weeks later, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested him again over a case related to a controversial tweet against senior military officials.

An FIR was registered by the FIA on the complaint of the state through Islamabad Cyber Crime Reporting Centre Technical Assistant Aneesur Rehman. Separate FIRs were registered against the senator in Balochistan and Sindh as well.

PTI moves SC to take suo motu notice of Azam Swati’s arrest

Following his arrest, PTI leader Dr Yasmin Rashid petitioned the Supreme Court to take suo motu notice regarding Swati's “political victimisation”.

The petition asked for immediate notice to be taken on the “illegal arrest” of the senator and the “violation of privacy of his home."

It claimed that Swati was tortured in front of his wife and kids, as well as during the custody of the FIA.