— Imran Khan urges CJP to take suo motu notice, aplogises Mrs Swati on behalf of Pakistan
— Sanjrani forms probe committee as FIA claims video is ‘fake’
ISLAMABAD: PTI’s defiant Senator Azam Swati Saturday burst into tears while telling the media that his family had been sent an obscene video featuring him and his spouse.
Swati, who was arrested on October 13 in a case registered against him over a controversial tweet against Army Chief and is now on bail, was subjected to custodial torture and allegedly filmed naked during custody.
Swati accused elements within the establishment for his ordeal and told media persons that his wife called him from Islamabad at around 9pm last night and kept shouting and crying, adding that he then had to ask his daughter to speak to his wife and inquire what was the matter.
On her insistence, he continued, his wife revealed that someone had sent her a video of the couple from an unknown number. “Because the daughters and granddaughters of my country are listening, I cannot say any further,” he added.
The senator went on to say that his daughter, while crying, revealed to him that the video featured his wife as well.
“I asked her how is it possible,” the senator said before bursting into tears. He added that his daughter also told him that the video was from when Swati and his wife had visited Quetta where Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani had hosted .
Recalling that visit, the senator said Senate Chairperson Sadiq Sanjrani, who respected his wife, had made arrangements for them to stay at the Supreme Court’s judicial lodges in Quetta.
“You (Sanjrani) made arrangements there to protect an elder senator and your aunt (Swati’s wife). And you told me that I will stay there as there were no Supreme Court judges in Quetta,” he added.
Swati was overcome with emotions again and lamented that his wife had to leave the country and move to a “safe place”. He also bewailed that his granddaughters were also “compelled to leave the country with traumas and scars”.
“I am asking my God is this Pakistan where the sanctity of a husband and wife [is not safe?],” he said.
This was the second time that Swati shared the account of an ordeal he allegedly went through, initially having described his “custodial torture” on November 1.
Imran urges CJP to take suo motu notice
PTI chief Imran Khan, who has condemned the alleged torture of Swati previously as well, tweeted after today’s press conference, stating that “Pakistan was created on Islamic moral values of human dignity, honour of the family and inviolability of chadar and chardawari”.
“What has happened to Azam Swati at the hands of the state has been a blatant violation of all these values — from being stripped naked to custodial torture and now this video where the privacy of his wife has been violated,” he wrote.
“It is both shocking, despicable and utterly condemnable. No human being should have to suffer this. I call on the CJP (chief justice of Pakistan) to take suo moto notice of this,” he added.
Later, Imran added: “I want to apologise on behalf of Pakistan to Mrs Swati, a very private, non public, tahajut guzaar lady for the pain, anguish and sense of humiliation she is having to suffer.”
Sanjrani forms parliamentary committee to examine Swati’s video claim
Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani Saturday announced to form a parliamentary committee to examine Senator Azam Swati’s leaked video issue and then compile a report.
In a statement, he said, members of all the political parties in the Senate would be part of the parliamentary committee. He said the committee would prepare the report and present it before the House.
The chairman said the issue of the video leak of Azam Swati was “shocking”.
“Senator Azam Swati is like my elder brother while his wife is like my aunt; I have family relations with him,” Sanjrani said.
Swati video ‘fake, edited with deep fake tools’: FIA
Hours after Swati’s press conference, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) issued a press release, stating that the “obscene” video circulating on the Internet has been “forensically analysed” and was “found to be fake”.
“The initial video/audio and frame-to-frame forensic analysis has been carried out on the viral video as per International Forensic Analysis standard,” the agency stated. “Initial forensic analysis revealed that video has been edited and different video clips have been joined with defaced faces.
“Further analysis revealed that faces have been swapped in the images using Photoshop. The press conference by the honorable senator, in which he has showed his concerns warrant a proper investigation. Mr. Azam Khan Swati is requested to lodge a complaint with FIA and share his concerns about the reason of thinking it authentic.”
“Prima facie, it is a fake video, edited with deep fake tools to create misunderstanding and defame the senator,” it added.
Condemnations pour in from all quarters
PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar shared a clip from Swati’s press conference and termed it a “slap on the face of the Senate chairperson and entire parliament”.
Meanwhile, journalist Mazhar Abbas said Swati’s “video statement should be an eye opener for every democratic and rights activist. [I] wonder how come someone like Senator Pervez Rasheed is silent as he himself had faced such humiliation. This is not acceptable”.
Power Minister Khurram Dastgir said he shared the anguish of Swati and has requested the Ministry of Interior to “investigate gross invasion of privacy, inform people of the facts and penalise the perpetrators”.
PTI leader Maleeka Bokhari questioned, “Can the guardians of fundamental rights — the honourable chief justice and other Judges remain silent on the torture, humiliation, sexual abuse and assassination attempts of members belonging to Pakistan’s largest political party?”
“The CJP had the privilege of exercising suo motu powers which are now defunct,” she added.
Making private videos and attacking politicians are despicable acts. As a nation our head hangs in shame. We must stop this violence and abuse across all party lines.
— Dr. Musadik Malik (@DrMusadikMalik) November 5, 2022
PML-N’s Miftah Ismail also joined others in condemning the alleged incident narrated by Swati.
Quoting a tweet by Imran, he posted: “I have never felt the urge to retweet Imran Khan but here I have to agree with him. The video of Begum Azam Swati is clearly beyond the pale.
“I feel ashamed that an honourable woman can be so humiliated in my country. This madness must stop.”
PTI leader Hammad Azhar, meanwhile, demanded the resignation of Senate chairperson Sadiq Sanjrani.
Another leader from the party, Fawad Chaudhry termed the entire situation “tragic”.
He noted that Swati’s account showed that the “guesthouses of the Supreme Court are completely covered by hidden cameras” and private videos were recorded at the Prime Minister’s Office as well as of SC judges.
“This is a tragic situation,” he regretted.
Former education minister Shafqat Mahmood said he was “shocked” at the release of the “terrible video”.
“No words really to express how tragic it is. What low depths have people sunk to.”
MQM-P’s Faisal Sabzwari said he was extremely sorry for the pain Swati and his family was going through and urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to “order highest level inquiry on the accusations”.
Journalist Hasan Zaidi termed Swati’s press conference “heart wrenching” and condemned the alleged filming of him and his wife.
“Whatever one may think about his politics, this can only be condemned in the strongest possible way. This is completely beyond the pale of all ethics and morality,” he said.
Journalist Zarrar Khuhro said he had no reason to doubt Swati’s account and termed the alleged incident “shameful and disgusting to the extreme”.
He said it “merits a suo moto by the Supreme Court which should direct the investigation into this atrocious act as soon as it can”.
