• Sanaullah alleges Swati, PTI of instigating mischief.
• Swati blames two military officials of physical torture.
• “FIA filed case over highly-objectionable tweet,” minister says.

ISLAMABAD: After PTI senior leader and Senator Azam Swati censured state institutions over his arrest, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah criticised him for “defaming” them.

The PTI leader, earlier today, had alleged to have been subjected to custodial torture and stripping by two military officials.

The senator’s accusations were categorically rejected by the interior minister who said that the FIA did not hand him over to any other institutions and denied allegations of torture, alleging Swati and PTI of instigating mischief.

Swati was taken into custody by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from his home in Islamabad on October 24. He was later presented before the senior civil judge Shabbir Bhatti’s court in the federal capital. Swati also filed a petition against his arrest in the Supreme Court.

“Imrani fitna’s characters have adopted the agenda of chaos to create riots and anarchy in the country,” he told journalists during a press conference, adding that they have been targeting the officers of the institutions for the past few days.

Commenting on the PTI leader’s custody by the agency, he said: “Azam Swati was in FIA’s custody. He was neither handed over to anyone else nor did anyone ask [for him to be handed over]. The case against him was filed by the FIA over a highly-objectionable tweet.”

“It is important to put facts before the nation, as they lie brazenly,” the minister said.

Sanaullah, flanked by FIA’s Deputy Director of Cybercrimes wing Ayaz Khan, added that the accusations are being made without any inquiry and without any application.

‘Hiding inside a drain’

FIA’s Khan, during the presser, revealed that the agency first introduced itself when raiding Swati’s home and the senator was sought outside through his servant.

“The servant said that Azam Swati was not at home. When the agency entered Azam Swati’s house, he was found hiding inside a drain and was laying on a mattress,” Khan said, adding that the FIA personnel waited outside Swati’s home for 40 minutes.

FIA’s Khan shared that after the PTI leader’s arrest, no one met him. He also added that the 75-year-old senator was not taken in front of his granddaughters.

Speaking on journalist Chaudhry Ghulam Hussain’s arrest by the FIA, the interior minister said that he was not familiar with his matter and assured against any kind of abuse on him.