Court reserves decision on PTI's Rauf Hasan's bail in anti-state campaign case

ISLAMABAD, 01 Aug: The District and Sessions Courts Islamabad have reserved their verdict on the post-arrest bail application of PTI Central Information Secretary Rauf Hasan and others, in a case filed under the PICA Act.
During the hearing, Duty Magistrate Abbas Shah presided over the proceedings. PTI's legal representative, Ali Bukhari, along with other lawyers, defended the accused. The prosecution was represented by FIA Prosecutor Aamir Shaikh, who presented the case records alongside the investigating officer.
Ali Bukhari argued that the case against Rauf Hasan is based on the testimony of Ahmad Waqas Janjua, asserting that the eight accused, who are regular salaried employees such as couriers, desk operators, and receptionists, have no connection with Hasan. He emphasized that these individuals have been wrongfully implicated simply for performing their jobs, questioning the alleged harm they have caused.
Bukhari further contended that the charges against Hasan revolve around the creation of a PTI social media cell accused of running an anti-state campaign. He dismissed these allegations as baseless, noting that the FIR lacks any specific reference to Section 9, making random accusations without concrete evidence. He highlighted previous court decisions, including a ruling by Justice Babar Sattar, which questioned the constitutionality of prolonged detentions.
On the other hand, FIA Prosecutor Aamir Shaikh presented arguments detailing the arrest of 12 out of 14 accused individuals, while two women accused are out on bail. He referenced technical reports, alleging that over 100 WhatsApp groups were used to spread provocations. The prosecutor read transcripts of various tweets, suggesting that Hasan and his associates were involved in creating narratives that incited sectarian tensions and propagated anti-state sentiments, including collaboration with foreign entities.
Bukhari rebutted these claims, denying any link between Hasan and the tweets mentioned by the prosecution, asserting that Hasan is not the spokesperson or media coordinator for PTI.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the court reserved its decision on the bail application for Rauf Hasan and the other accused.