The dark side of Pakistan’s institutional governance has been completely exposed by the leaking of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Azam Swati’s private video.
The disclosure made by PTI Senate Azam Swati regarding the alleged leaking of his private video with his wife has shaken the basis of the institutional governance system of the country. The video leak issue surfaced at a time when the country is going through a sensitive phase of political turmoil amid PTI’s long march and Swati’s release on bail in the controversial tweet case.
As per Swati’s claims, his private video was filmed at Supreme Court’s Judicial Lodges in Quetta and it was leaked to his own family members.
He revealed that Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani had made arrangements for them to stay at the Supreme Court’s judicial lodges in Quetta and told him to stay there as there were no SC judges in Quetta. The private video was leaked a few days after Swati announced to fight a long war to protect his honour. He made the statement outside the Supreme Court (SC) in connection with the controversial tweet case.
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Sources said that the video was allegedly filmed during Swati’s stay at Supreme Court’s judicial lodges in Quetta where he reached over the advice of Sanjrani. They added that as per rules, the residences dedicated to SC judges could not be allotted to any individual without the permission of the Senate chairman.
On the other hand, the Supreme Court (SC) spokesperson said yesterday that Swati has never stayed at the judges’ rest house in Quetta.
The top court clarified, “Supreme Court Judges Rest House, Quetta is being managed and supervised by the Registrar Office Supreme Court of Pakistan Islamabad and is meant for the use of Hon’ble serving and former Judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.”
However, according to Special Branch, Balochistan, Senator Swati during the aforesaid visit stayed at Balochistan Judicial Academy (Judicial Complex Quetta), which is not under the control of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Balochistan Judicial Academy’s Director-General (DG) Rashid Mahmood gave a statement after the SC’s press release. He said that Balochistan Judicial Academy is working for academic purposes without any residence facility since September 2019.
According to the DG, prior to September 2019, the judicial academy comprising two rooms and a small lounge was working on rental basis for the University Law College. He added that the Judicial Academy has no residence and rest house facilities.
Mahmood termed Balochistan Special Branch’s report regarding the Judicial Academy baseless and false.
According to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) press release, the “obscene” video circulating on the internet has been “forensically analysed” and was “found to be fake”.
Analysts said that Swati’s private video issue seemingly exposed the institutional governance system as nobody knew yet about the exact location of the crime scene to begin a thorough probe. They said if institutions are unaware of the exact location then how can a thorough probe be conducted to take the culprits to justice?
Analysts also raised a question if the honour of parliamentarians were not safe in the country then how would the honour of judges be protected? They added that if a senator’s video could be filmed at the judges’ state-administered residences then judges could also be blackmailed through the leaking of such videos.