In a dramatic escalation of legal issues for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Information Secretary Raoof Hasan has been taken into custody by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on charges related to terrorism. Hasan, who was already under judicial remand for his alleged role in masterminding an anti-state digital campaign, now faces additional legal troubles.
On Tuesday, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad granted the CTD a two-day physical remand of Hasan. This decision follows a previous judicial remand ordered by a district and sessions court, which had already detained Hasan and other PTI members for their involvement in a social media propaganda network deemed anti-state.
The situation intensified on July 22 when police, accompanied by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials, raided the PTI secretariat in Islamabad. During the raid, Hasan, PTI’s acting chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan (later released), and Ahmad Waqas Janjua, the party’s international media coordinator, were detained.
The new terrorism case against Hasan emerged following revelations from Janjua, who allegedly disclosed the existence of a terror network. The ATC granted the CTD a five-day physical remand to investigate these claims further. Janjua, who was recently sent to jail on judicial remand in an arms recovery case, has reportedly implicated Hasan in receiving funds to incite terror.
Defense attorneys for Hasan argue that physical remand is unnecessary since Hasan’s electronic devices are already in FIA’s possession. The ATC has instructed the CTD to ensure Hasan’s health and well-being with daily medical check-ups. This case adds to PTI’s mounting legal woes amidst ongoing political turbulence in Pakistan.
