ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: A local court of Islamabad on Monday rejected the prosecution’s request of extending physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry in the FIR registered against him for his alleged threatening remarks against the officials of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The civil judge/judicial magistrate Waqas Ahmed Raja sent the PTI leader to Adiala jail on 14-day judicial remand in the case.
Advocate Faisal Hussain, brother of Fawad, told Dawn that a post-arrest bail petition was already pending before Judge Faizan Gillani, who had deferred the proceeding while handing over Fawad on physical remand to the police on Jan 28. The judge would resume hearing on the bail petition on Jan 31, Advocate Faisal said.
When police sought seven-day physical remand and submitted an application before the court, the judge noticed that Fawad Chaudhry was not produced before the court. The judge was informed that the PTI leader was taken to Punjab Forensic Science Laboratory, Lahore for photogrammetric test, which is conducted for identification of a person.
Farrukh, Wajahat approach LHC against possible arrest in ‘baseless’ cases
The judge directed the police to produce Fawad by 11:30am. However, when he resumed the proceeding, the police informed him that due to security measures in place for the expected visit of UAE’s ruler, roads in the capital were blocked with the result that his production was delayed. The court then again put off this matter till 3pm, but Fawad could not be produced. Subsequently, his counsel Babar Awan suggested the judge to initiate contempt proceeding against the police for failing to produce his client before the court.
Finally, when Fawad was brought handcuffed before Judicial Magistrate Raja after another delay of half an hour, PTI leaders Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Ali Nawaz Awan, Khurram Nawaz, Shahzad Waseem and Faisal Javed were present in the courtroom. On the request of Advocate Faisal, the judge ordered to remove Fawad’s handcuffs and to arrange his meeting with his family members.
Police have invoked Sections 153-A (promotion of enmity between groups), 506 (criminal intimidation), 505 (statement conducing to public mischief), and 124-A (sedition) of the Pakistan Penal Code against Fawad over his speech outside Imran Khan’s house. Fawad had said “those who become part of the caretaker government will be pursued until they are punished”.
Wajahat, Farrukh fear arrest Meanwhile, two former ministers and PTI leaders Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain and Farrukh Habib approached the Lahore High Court on Monday against their possible arrest.
In his petition, Mr Habib submitted through counsel Abuzar Salman Niazi that the Ferozewala police registered a case against him on charges of dacoity and obstructing the state’s functioning. He said the trial court granted him pre-arrest bail, but the police were still causing harassment to him at the behest of the federal government. He urged the court to restrain the police from arresting him.
Mr Hussain contended that the police registered a ‘baseless’ FIR against him on the basis of a controversial leaked audio.
Asking the court to restrain the police from arresting him and quash the FIR, the petitioner said it was fabricated.
Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2023
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