Islamabad (Web Desk): A local court in Islamabad approved three-day extension in the physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) spokesperson Raoof Hassan.
According to details, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) produced Hassan and other PTI activists before the Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Shabbir Bhatti after completion of their two-day physical remand.
During the hearing he FIA prosecutor requested an extension of eight more days of physical remand, arguing that the accused are active in 100 WhatsApp groups.
He stated that Raoof heads both international and national media cells, and Jibran Ilyas has previously worked with a foreign president.
The lawyer claimed that the two women nominated in the FIR were employees of the PTI's social media cell and that granting them bail would affect the case.
"Sections of the Peca (Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act) imposed on both women are also important; we also have evidence against them," the prosecutor said.
In his arguments, defence counsel Ali Bukhari said if the federal body has evidence, then it should furnish it before the court.
The FIA prosecutor then alleged that the two women were employed for a "special purpose".
He said that during the investigation, FIA officials also discovered fake accounts were being operated from the suspects' mobile phones.
The FIA prosecutor added that Raoof Hasan heads the social media team. He said that campaigns are run against the administration and judiciary, adding that the body needs more time to collect evidence as it has only one social media expert.
The FIA prosecutor said that the purpose of physical remand is not only recovery, remand can also be taken for investigation.
After hearing the arguments, the court reserved the verdict for a short time and subsequently extended the physical remand of Hassan and others for three-days.
However, the court approved bail petitions petitions of two arrested female members of the PTI Secretariat against surety bonds of Rs50,000 each.
Raoof Hasan was arrested by the Islamabad police from party’s secretariat in the federal capital on Monday.
In a statement, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Interior said that Islamabad Police arrested PTI leader Raoof Hassan and party Coordinator Ahmad Waqas Janjua for running an anti-state propaganda.
The spokesperson said Islamabad Police and the FIA conducted a raid on PTI's digital media wing office in light of preliminary investigation and the digital content.
A district and sessions court in the federal capital on Tuesday granted a two-day physical remand of Raoof and others.
The FIA initially sought a 10-day physical remand for Hasan. However, the court opted for a shorter duration, allowing investigators two days to question the PTI official.