ISLAMABAD: The special court, on Thursday, granted bail to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary Information Raoof Hasan and others in a case registered against them regarding allegedly spreading anti-state propaganda.
Duty magistrate Abbas Shah, while announcing its reserved verdict on Hassan and others post-arrest bail plea in a case registered under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), 2016, granted bail to Hasan and other accused including Waqas Ahmad, Afaq Ahmad Alvi, Hamidullah, Rashid Mehmood, Zeeshan Farooq, Syed Osama Wajid, Muhammad Rizwan Afzal, Muhammad Rafiq, and Syed Hamza against surety bonds of Rs50,000 each.
PTI lawyers, Ali Bukhari and Mirza Asim Baig as well as the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)’s prosecutor Aamir Sheikh appeared before the court. Bukhari, while arguing before the court, said that the FIA has registered a case against Hasan over the revelation of PTI’s international media coordinator Ahmed Waqas Janjua.
He said that the other eight people nominated in the case are PTI’s central secretariat staff or salaried people. Bukhari said that these eight accused have nothing to do with Hasan, he said, adding that these eight accused include receptionists, desk operators, peons, etc.
The defence counsel said what kinds of damages have been caused by these employees.
Their [PTI’s Secretariat staff] crime is that they are doing their job, he said, adding that an allegation has been levelled against Hasan that he has set up a separate social media cell. It has also been alleged in the first information report (FIR) that an anti-state campaign is being run on social media at the behest of Hasan, he said, adding that the main problem is to not call thieves as thieves.
He said that baseless allegations have been levelled against Hasan and others. PTI counsel further said that the government wants the thieves should not be called thieves and not to talk about Form 47, adding that the FIR had been registered at 10am and the law enforcement conducted a raid at 12am.
Bukhari said that did that they knew divinely that people were present there and they should be nominated in the FIR. Hasan is a 75 years old cancer and heart patient if something happens to him then the government will be responsible, he said.
He requested the court to approve Hasan and other accused’s bail.
Prosecutor Aamir Sheikh argued before the court that out of 14 accused 12 are still under custody. Two women have been granted bail, he said.
What Hasan says then they make a narrative from it, he said, adding Hasan allegedly after talking to India made a narrative.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024