Islamabad court sends Fawad Chaudhry to Adiala jail on 14-day judicial remand

An Islamabad district and sessions court sent on Friday Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry to Adiala jail on a 14-day judicial remand, Aaj News reported.

The Islamabad district and sessions court had earlier approved a two-day physical remand and directed the authorities to present him on January 27 (today).

Judge Raja Waqas Ahmed presided over the hearing in which ECP’s lawyer Saad Hasan and PTI’s lawyers are also present.

The ECP lawyer informed the court that Fawad’s voice matching had been completed. He said that Fawad had to be taken to Lahore for a photogrammetric test and requested an extension in remand, adding that it was important to carry out further investigation.

Fawad, who was information minister under the previous government led by PTI Chairman Imran Khan, was detained in a predawn raid on his home in Lahore.

He was accused of having “harassed and intimidated” election commission officials and their families in televised comments on Tuesday, according to the police report.

The charges, lodged in Islamabad, also said he was being held under sedition legislation because he “tried to cause an impediment in the election process of the state”.

Last night, eacting to Fawad’s arrest, Imran said that the treatment being meted out to Fawad shows all that is wrong with Pakistan today.

If state and cabal of crooks think they can create an environment of fear and terrify us into submission, they have got it all wrong, the party leader added.

“People are more determined to stand up against this fascism and my party and I are more resolute than ever before to fight against these fascist forces for democracy, rule of law and justice for our people.”

Background

Following Fawad’s arrest, he was brought to Lahore’s Cantt where the judicial magistrate granted police his transit remand to Islamabad.

But later, the LHC directed the police to present the politician in Lahore. Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh scrapped the petition for Fawad’s recovery, stating that his arrest was not “unlawful”.

The remarks came after law enforcement agencies (LEAs) also submitted the FIR of the arrest to LHC.

Meanwhile, Inspector General (IG) Punjab Dr Usman Anwar told the high court that Fawad was in the custody of Islamabad Police.

The LHC had earlier postponed the hearing of the case and ordered law enforcement agencies to present Fawad. It also summoned IG Punjab and IG Islamabad.

Islamabad court approves Fawad Chaudhry’s two-day physical remand

During the hearing, Fawad’s counsel said that “instead of presenting Fawad in court, the law enforcement agencies took him out of the city, thus violating the court’s orders.”

The LHC heard the petition challenging Fawad’s arrest by Advocate Muhammad Ahmad Pansota.

The petition demanded that police officials should be directed to recover Fawad from “illegal and unlawful confinement” and produce him before the court.