After a 2-day physical remand of ex-premier Imran Khan’s close aide Fawad Chaudhry in Police custody under charges of inciting violence against a constitutional institution a Judicial Magistrate of Islamabad District Court Waqas Ahmad Raja sent the accused to judicial lock up at Adiala Jail Rawalpindi.
Former Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry was arrested in Lahore early morning on Wednesday after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) lodged a complaint with Islamabad police saying the leader of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party had threatened members of the election regulator and their families amid madding remarks in a TV interview that were tantamount to inciting violence against them.
Fawad Hussain Chaudhry was produced before the Judicial Magistrate in handcuffs amid heavy deployment of police on Friday morning after expiry of a two-day physical remand, however, the magistrate accepted plea of Chaudhry as handcuffs were removed.
Arguing in the case before the court, his lawyer contended saying, “The case against Fawad is frivolous and it must be discharged,”. The Magister expressed inability to grant post arrest bail in the matter saying the extra ordinary relief of bail is out of his jurisdiction.
During hearing of the matter, the courtroom of Judicial Magistrate Raja Waqas Ahmed was packed to capacity and police officers had to stop PTI supporters and members of the public from entering the court. Dozens of PTI supporters and leaders have been reported to gather outside the courtroom and chanted slogans against the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, which they accuse of cracking down on political opponents.
Urging the Judicial Magistrate’ Court for another set of remand of Fawad, prosecutor and the ECP counsel Saad Hassan sought an extension in Hussain’s two-day remand, saying he had to be taken to Lahore for a photogrammetry test.
“Fawad has incited violence against the election commission’s workers,” Hassan told the court. “He isn’t alone as a group of leaders have been doing so against the constitutional body,” he added, in a veiled reference to PTI’s senior leadership. “The recovery of Fawad’s mobile phone and laptop is required to complete the investigation,” the counsel argued.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the judge reserved judgment in the matter and later declined the prosecution request while sending Fawad Chaudhry on judicial remand to Adiala Jail Rawalpindi.
Once Fawad Chaudhry was sent to judicial remand his counsels immediately invoked jurisdiction of the Additional District & Session Judge Syed Faizan Haider filing post arrest bail application as the Judge will hear the same on Saturday on January 28. A smiling Hussain made victory signs at a charged crowd showering him with rose petals as he left the courtroom surrounded by police.
ICT Police launches FIR against PTI’s Farrukh Habib:
Meanwhile, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police registered a case against PTI information secretary Farrukh Habib under the charges to create obstruction in duty of police team that was bringing Fawad Chaudhry from Lahore to Islamabad on Wednesday.
Charges in the FIR disclosed that the accused Habib when accompanied with up to ten unnamed men has teared uniform of the police head constable on duty and snatched a wireless set from Police during resistance. The police also accused Habib of trying to get Fawad Chaudhry free from police custody.
In video footage widely played on mainstream media and shared online, Habib was seen at the Kala Shah Kaku Motorway Toll Plaza (Near Lahore), trying to block the police vehicle in which Hussain was being transported to Islamabad, shouting that he must be presented before the Lahore High Court.
Since being ousted from the PM’s office in a parliamentary no-trust vote, PTI Chairman Imran Khan has refused to accept the coalition government of PM Sharif and campaigned for snap polls since being ousted from power in a parliamentary vote last April, holding protest marches and rallies across the country.
Arab News reported, “In recent months, his relationship with Pakistan’s all-powerful military, which is widely believed to have propelled his rise to the PM’s office, has sharply deteriorated as he blames it, and its then army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, of being part of a foreign conspiracy by the United States to remove his government. Washington and the army deny the charge”.
The Paper added saying the latest arrest has raised political tensions and heightened uncertainty in Pakistan at a time that the South Asian nation faces high inflation, dwindling foreign reserves and widening deficits. The country is in a tough International Monetary Fund bailout program.
Fawad Hussain’s arrest comes months after another close Khan aide, Dr. Shahbaz Gill, was arrested by police and accused of inciting mutiny against the military. Gill is out on bail. Another PTI leader, Senator Azam Swati, was also arrested and released on bail in multiple cases, including for posting tweets considered to be anti-military.
