Islamabad Court sends Fawad to jail on judicial remand

A district and sessions court in Islamabad on Monday sent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former information minister Fawad Chaudhry to jail on judicial remand, reported Aaj News.

The development came at the end of Fawad’s physical remand. The court rejected a petition filed by police seeking an extension in the physical remand.

Outside the court, Fawad’s counsel Babar Awan stated that he expects a positive verdict on a petition seeking bail of the PTI leader.

Last week, Fawad was detained after a 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.

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

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

On Friday, an Islamabad district and sessions court sent Fawad to Adiala jail on a 14-day judicial remand.

On Saturday, the court approved a petition from police and extended the former federal minister’s remand by two days. The court had reserved the verdict earlier during the day.

The petition, filed by the police, had also called for revocation of the order passed by a magistrate that sent the ex-minister on judicial remand.

On Sunday, Fawad reportedly filed a petition to the Kohsar Police Station’s magistrate for his medical examination.

Media reported that the former minister stated that the federal police were not conducting his medical test which was a violation of constitutional rights.

Fawad further stated that the police might do the same as they did in the past and this is why they are not conducting my medical.

On the other hand, PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday requested Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial to ensure the protection of fundamental rights in the country, especially of Fawad .

In a two-page handwritten letter to the CJ, the PTI chairman expressed his concerns about the well-being of the PTI senior vice president.

“This is to bring to your kind attention that the PTI SVP and member of the Supreme Court Bar Association Fawad Chaudhry was under arrest and in the custody of Islamabad Police. Two of our senior party office-bearers Senator Azam Swati and Shahbaz Gill were subjected to custodial torture. I am worried that Fawad Chaudhry would be subject to similar inhuman treatment in violation of Articles 9,10-A and 14 of the Constitution,” he mentioned in the letter.