Key Aide of Ex-PM Imran Khan Placed on Judicial Remand

An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan has placed Raoof Hasan, a close aide to former Prime Minister Imran Khan, on judicial remand for 14 days. The court rejected the police's request for a seven-day physical remand. Hasan was arrested in connection with a terrorism case involving an international disinformation network.

An anti-terrorism court here on Saturday placed Raoof Hasan, a close aide of jailed former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan, on judicial remand for 14 days in connection with a terrorism case.

Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Tahir Abbas Supra, rejecting the request for a seven-day physical remand of Hasan, ordered the judicial remand, The Nation newspaper reported.

Hasan, who serves as Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party's Information Secretary, was arrested by Islamabad Police on July 22 at the party's secretariat.

The arrest followed a raid by law enforcement agencies based on solid evidence, police said.

Previously, the ATC had extended Hasan's physical remand by one more day.

According to the police, the PTI Secretariat was allegedly functioning as the centre of an international disinformation network through its digital media centre.

The raid was conducted based on information from an international social media activist linked to PTI, the police said.

(With inputs from agencies.)