Court grants two days physical remand of PTI’s Raoof Hasan

ISLAMABAD: A district and sessions court in Islamabad on Tuesday granted a two-day physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Information Secretary Raoof Hasan to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in a case related to his alleged involvement in disseminating anti-state propaganda.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had sought a 10-day physical remand for the Information Secretary of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Raoof Hasan.

On Monday, Islamabad Police arrested Hasan during a raid on the PTI Secretariat, seizing a computer and other items.

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According to sources, authorities allege that the digital media cell at PTI’s office had become a hub for international disinformation, where anti-Pakistan propaganda was being carried out in collaboration with enemy agencies.

However, PTI condemned the raid, accusing law enforcers of seizing affidavits from MNAs and MPAs that stand crucial for verifying party affiliations and could significantly impact the National Assembly’s composition.

Hasan, along with other PTI members, was presented before Judicial Magistrate Abbas Shah’s court on Tuesday. The FIA prosecutor argued that the remand was necessary to recover devices used for social media accounts, which are crucial for further investigation.

Referring to the Saturday arrest of PTI’s international media coordinator Ahmed Waqas Janjua, the ministry said that the Islamabad police and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) conducted a raid on the PTI’s digital media wing in light of a preliminary investigation and the digital content used by the party.

“Raoof Hasan was arrested during the raid. PTI is involved in anti-state propaganda,” the ministry’s statement said, adding that a joint investigation team was being constituted to further probe into the matter.

The statement was issued shortly after a press conference by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif who said “digital terrorists” were using tools such as cell phones, computers, falsehood, and propaganda to impose their will on society just like regular terrorists do.