LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader and former federal minister Senator Muhammad Azam Khan Swati burst into tears before the media on Saturday, saying that his wife had received a video featuring him and her and about which he could not share further details because the “daughters of my country are listening”.

Azam Swati, who was arrested on October 13 in a case registered against him over a controversial tweet and is now on bail, has claimed that has been subjected to custodial torture.

Azam Swati began the press conference on Saturday by referring to an earlier media talk, where he recalled saying that neither had he committed any corruption nor anybody, including “powerful circles”, had any “immoral videos” featuring him. “I was completely wrong,” he said as he accused elements within the establishment for his ordeal.

Swati told media persons that his wife called him from Islamabad at around 9:00 PM last night. She kept on shouting and crying, he said, adding that he then had to ask his daughter to speak to his wife and inquire what was the matter.

On her insistence, he continued, his wife revealed that someone had sent her a video of him from an unknown number. “Because the daughters and granddaughters of my country are listening, I cannot say any further.”

The senator went on to say that his daughter, while crying, revealed to him that the video featured his wife as well. “I asked her how is it possible,” the senator said, bursting into tears. He added that his daughter also told him that the video was from when Swati and his wife had visited Quetta.

Recalling that visit, the senator said Senate Chairman Mir Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani, who respected his wife, had made arrangements for them to stay at the Supreme Court’s judicial lodges in Quetta. “You (Sanjrani) made arrangements there to protect an elder senator and your aunt (Swati’s wife). And you told me that I will stay there as there were no Supreme Court judges in Quetta.”

Swati was overcome with emotions again and lamented that his wife had to leave the country and move to a “safe place”. He also bewailed that his granddaughters were also “compelled to leave the country with traumas and scars”. “I am asking my God is this Pakistan where the sanctity of a husband and wife [is not safe?],” he said.

Meanwhile Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan, who has condemned the alleged torture of Swati previously as well, tweeted after Saturday’s press conference that “Pakistan was created on Islamic moral values of human dignity, honour of the family and inviolability of chadar and chardawari.

“What has happened to Azam Swati at the hands of the state has been a blatant violation of all these values — from being stripped naked to custodial torture and now this video where the privacy of his wife has been violated.

“It is both shocking, despicable and utterly condemnable. No human being should have to suffer this. I call on the CJP (chief justice of Pakistan) to take suo moto notice of this.”

Later, Imran Khan added: “I want to apologise on behalf of Pakistan to Mrs Swati, a very private, non public, tahajud guzaar lady for the pain, anguish and sense of humiliation she is having to suffer.”