ISLAMABAD - A district and sessions court yesterday sent former federal minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) stalwart Fawad Chaudhry to Adiala Jail on a 14- day judicial remand in a sedition case. The Islamabad police had registered a case against Fawad Chaudhry under sections 153A (promotion of enmity between groups), 506 (criminal intimidation), 505 (statement conducing to public mischief) and 124A (sedition) of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) on the complaint of Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan on charges of using threatening language against the Chief Election Commissioner in Lahore this week.
Later on, he was arrested by police during a raid on his house located in Lahore and was taken to Islamabad. Following this, an Islamabad court had handed Fawad over to the police in a two-day physical remand. Earlier, the Islamabad police produced Fawad before Judicial Magistrate Waqas Ahmed Raja after expiry of his two-day physical remand.
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The police investigators requested the court for a further sevenday physical remand of the exminister in the sedition case. The prosecutor read the text of the first information report (FIR) registered against the PTI leader, noted the language used against the CEC and caretaker Punjab chief minister. He said that they have matched the voice of the suspect with Fawad Chaudhry and a photogrammetry test is to be conducted. The prosecutor said that recoveries including laptop and mobile are still to be made from the accused. He sought further physical remand of the PTI leader. “The accused has also admitted to the speech before the court on the previous hearing,” the prosecutor added. He said that Fawad Chaudhry might be a senior politician but all are equal into the eyes of law and police have to recover his laptop and mobile by searching his house. Dr Babar Awan, who appeared before the court on behalf of the PTI leader, argued before the duty magistrate that Fawad is not a terrorist. He said that the prime job of ECP is to hold elections but its officers are posing as government. He questioned, “if the Election Commission is the plaintiff in a case against me, how can I ask them for justice in the elections?”
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On the occasion, the accused Fawad Chaudhry also said his words are not just his own but they are the party’s words and communicates the PTI’s stance. He also produced the CCTV footage before the court, saying that his arrest is illegal. He claimed that the ruling coalition is victimising him on political grounds adding that he was not arrested by Lahore or Islamabad police. Dr Babar Awan said that his client was kidnapped. The PTI leader maintained that he has filed for Rs500 million in damages against the ECP and filed a request for the return of his mobile phone from the police. After completion of the comments of both the sides, Judicial Magistrate Waqas Ahmed Raja rejected plea of the police and sent Fawad to Adiala Jail on 14- day judicial remand. Later, the police shifted Fawad Chaudhry to Adiala Jail amid tight security. Earlier, a large number of PTI leaders and supporters gathered in district courts to expressed solidarity with Fawad Chaudhry.
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