An Islamabad district and sessions court has accepted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry’s bail petition in the case registered against him for threatening Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) officials and their families.
The bail has been accepted on the condition that he will not repeat any words that can incite violence against a constitutional institution.
Chaudhry was arrested outside his house in Lahore last Wednesday after the case was registered against him in Islamabad.
Court sends Fawad Chaudhry to jail on judicial remand again
On January 30, the court sent Chaudhry to jail on a 14-day judicial remand.
Fawad was presented before the court at 3 pm.
Fawad is under arrest since five days.
Court accepts police plea for Fawad’s physical remand
On January 28, the court granted physical remand of Fawad Chaudhry to the police.
The former minister was brought to court on Saturday with a black cloth covering his face on directives issued by Additional Sessions Judge Tahir Mehmood Khan who said the appearance of a suspect in the court is mandatory in cases where investigators seek a physical remand.
Earlier, the court had sent Fawad to Adiala Jail on a 14-day judicial remand.
Court sends Fawad Chaudhry to Adiala Jail
On January 27, Chaudhry was sent to Adiala jail on a 14-day judicial remand in this case.
The former information minister was taken into custody after a first information report (FIR) against him was registered in Islamabad by an official of ECP.
Islamabad court approves Fawad’s two-day physical remand
On January 26, the district and sessions court approved a two-day physical remand of Fawad Chaudhry.
The Islamabad Police had sought an eight-day physical remand of the PTI leader. However, the court did not approve their request and asked the authorities to present the PTI leader on January 27.
The police — during the time that the verdict was reserved — also took the PTI senior leader to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), where he underwent a medical checkup and was declared fit.
The former federal minister has vehemently denied all charges against him and demanded the case be dismissal as it is “fraud and the FIR is a sham”.
‘Where is Fawad Chaudhry?’; LHC summons Punjab, Islamabad IGs over failure to produce PTI leader
The Lahore High Court (LHC) on January 25 summoned the inspector generals (IG) of Islamabad and Punjab police after the authorities failed to produce Chaudhry before it.
The LHC had ordered authorities to present Fawad before it in response to a petition filed by Fawad’s cousin, Nabeel Shehzad, for the “recovery” of the former federal minister.
Interestingly, the orders were issued after a local court of Lahore had approved Fawad’s transitory remand in a sedition case filed against him in Islamabad on the Election Commission’s complaint.
At the outset of the hearing on January 25, Justice Sheikh instructed the police to present Fawad in court by 1:30pm.
On the other hand, PTI lawyer Azhar Siddique told the court that they had just learnt that Fawad was being taken to Islamabad.
“The orders that I give, I make sure they are implemented,” Justice Sheikh said here. “Even if he [Fawad] has reached Islamabad, bring him back and present him before the court.”
The hearing was adjourned for 30 minutes.
When it resumed, the judge inquired: “Where is Fawad?”
The AAG replied that Fawad was in the custody of the Islamabad police after which Justice Sheikh summoned the inspector generals of Islamabad and Punjab to court.
Chaudhry’s wife appeals to the CJP to take suo-moto over husband’s arrest
Chaudhry’s wife while talking to the media on Wednesday, January 26, said that the Chief justice of Pakistan (CJP), Umar Ata Bandial should take suo moto over her husband’s arrest.
Lahore court allows police to take Fawad Chaudhry to Islamabad
A court in Lahore allowed the police on Wednesday to take Chaudhry to Islamabad, hours after he was arrested
Fawad Chaudhry brought to Lahore court hours after arrest
Chaudhry was presented before a court in Lahore by the Islamabad Police to seek a transitory remand to transfer the former federal minister to the capital.
Chaudhry was brought to the Cantt court in Lahore amid tight security early on Wednesday morning, hours after he was arrested from outside his residence on charges of sedition.
Earlier this morning, Fawad was “taken away” in four cars with no number plates at 5:30AM. Faisal Chaudhry, Fawad’s brother, said that the family was unaware of Fawad’s location.
During the hearing at Cantt Court, Fawad said that he was proud of the charges against him. “These allegations were also levelled at Nelson Mandela.”
“It is being said that I have committed sedition […] I am a former Supreme Court lawyer and federal minister […] I should be treated with respect,” he told the court.
The PTI leader said that the way he was arrested was “inappropriate”. “Had they called me, I would have come myself.”
The Islamabad police have confirmed that the arrest has taken place. A case against Chaudhary was registered last night at the Kohsar police station in Islamabad on the complaint of Secretary of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Omer Hamid Khan. The first information report (FIR) was lodged against him for using threatening language against the ECP and its members.
In his speech outside PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s residence in Lahore’s Zaman Park, Fawad threatened the Election Commission, its members and their families, according to the FIR.
The FIR states that Chaudhary said that the status of the election commission was reduced to that of a ‘munshi’ (clerk).
Fawad said that those who become part of the caretaker government will be pursued until they are punished. He had said that the people sitting in the government would be pursued to their houses.
A number of party leaders took to Twitter and condemned the arrest including Shireen Mazari and Hammad Azhar.
