LAHORE: A city magistrate allowed bail to a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Member Provincial Assembly Nazir Chohan in a case registered by Race Course police on a complaint of advisor to Prime Minister for on accountability and interior Mirza Shahaz Akbar.
Earlier the investigating officer stated that custody of the suspect was required for the verification of his video clip and voice.
The counsel of Chohan opposed the remand and said the offences mentioned in the FIR are bailabla and sought his bail.
The court allowing bail to Chohan against bail dong of one lace observed that the offences mentioned in the FIR were bailable and sought police report in the case and adjourned further hearing till August 10 next.
The police was directed to shift the MPA to jail on judicial remand if he failed to deposit the bonds.
Racecourse police had arrested Chohan from the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) office where he had gone to see its director general.
Police got examine Chohan medically and vaccinated him also.
According to the FIR, Akbar accused Chohan of making allegations concerning his religious beliefs on a television channel, which put his life at risk.
The FIR carried offences under sections 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 189 (threat of injury to public servant), 298 (making statements with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings) and 153 (provoking to cause riot) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Chohan talking to newsmen outside the court said his arrest was illegal and unfair. He said police took no action on his application against Akbar. He demanded Prime Minister Imran Khan to take notice of his arrest.
Chohan had visited the police station with a rally and presented himself for the arrest after the registration of the FIR against him in May last. However, the police had refused to arrest him, being not needed at that time.
The former secretary PTI Jehangir Tareen’s group spokesperson MNA Raja Riaz condemned the arrest of Chohan and said that his group would soon hold a meeting to formulate strategy in this regard.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021