On Tuesday, a district and sessions court in Islamabad granted the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) a two-day physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Information Secretary Raoof Hasan. Hasan faces allegations of involvement in anti-state propaganda.
The court session saw the FIA prosecutor argue for the physical remand to facilitate the recovery of social media devices allegedly used to disseminate propaganda. Hasan had been taken into custody by the Islamabad Police a day earlier from PTI’s Central Secretariat. He is accused of leading a digital media cell involved in anti-Pakistan activities.
“The PTI digital media centre had become a hub of international disinformation, operating as a platform for anti-Pakistan propaganda globally,” stated the police.
Contrary to initial reports suggesting that PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan was also detained, the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) clarified that only Hasan was arrested during the raid at PTI’s headquarters.
The arrest provoked a strong backlash from the former ruling party. Chairman Gohar Khan, accompanied by National Assembly Opposition Leader Omar Ayub and former NA Speaker Asad Qaiser, condemned the detention and vowed to employ every available resource to secure Hasan’s prompt release.
It is noteworthy that Hasan was previously attacked in May, left bloodied after an altercation with what appeared to be four transgender individuals in Islamabad. CCTV footage from the incident showed Hasan being approached and engaged in conversation with an attacker while walking along the road.
