— Fawad ‘picked up’ from Lahore residence over ‘criticism’ of ECP boss
— LHC first summons IGs of Punjab, Islamabad but later rejects Fawad’s plea
ISLAMABAD: A District and Sessions court in the federal capital on Wednesday remanded Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry to Islamabad Police for two days on charges of sedition for “inciting violence against a constitutional institution”.
The PTI leader was arrested in the wee hours of the day from his residence in Lahore and was brought to Islamabad the same evening. Separately, a magisterial court in Lahore Cantt had also approved Fawad’s transitory remand to the Islamabad police.
A first information report (FIR) was registered at the Kohsar police station against Fawad on the complaint of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Secretary Umar Hameed, registered under 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.
Police later presented him before judicial magistrate Naveed Khan at the district and sessions court in Islamabad’s F-8 area on Wednesday evening, where they asked for an eight day physical remand of the PTI leader.
According to the text of the FIR, during a speech on Tuesday Fawad had said that the status of the ECP is the same as a “secretary”, adding that the “chief election commissioner signs documents like a clerk”.
During the press talk, while strongly criticising the appointment of Mohsin Naqvi as Punjab’s caretaker chief minister the PTI leader had also said that “those who are being appointed as the caretaker of [Punjab] government will be followed until they are punished”.
According to Islamabad police, Fawad tried to ignite violence against the state institutions and aroused the sentiments of the people.
Fawad ‘abducted’ early morning from Lahore residence
Fawad Chaudhry was picked up from his Lahore residence early Wednesday morning.
Faisal Chaudhry, Chaudhry’s brother, said the “abductors” who arrived around 5:30 am did not inform their family of the charges or location of the arrestee.
Faraz Chaudhry, the brother of Fawad, was also arrested from Jhelum hours later, the opposition party said.
The former minister’s arrest comes after a first information report (FIR) was registered against him in the Kohsar police station in Islamabad, on the complaint of the secretary of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Umar Hameed.
According to the complaint, Chaudhry made derogatory remarks about the commission, likening it to a munshi (secretary) and suggesting that it follows orders from higher-ups, a reference to the military.
It further claims that Chaudhry, in a speech outside former prime minister Imran Khan’s house late on Tuesday, threatened the tribunal saying that “those who become part of the caretaker government [in Punjab] will be pursued until they are punished.”
The FIR cites 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 (PPC).
The Islamabad police later stated in a tweet that Chaudhry attempted to “incite violence against a constitutional institution” and “inflame the sentiments of the people”.
The police further stated that the case will be processed as per the law.
LHC summons IGs of Punjab, Islamabad over Fawad’s arrest
The Lahore High Court (LHC) summoned the police chiefs of the provincial capital and Islamabad over the failure of the interim Punjab government to produce Fawad Chaudhry, senior vice president of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), who according to the party was “picked up” from outside his residence in the predawn hours of Wednesday.
The order came after the advocate general of Punjab, Chaudhry Jawad Yaqoob, told the high court that Chaudhry — whose “illegal” arrest was carried out by unidentified individuals in four Hilux pick-up trucks without license plates, according to his brother — was in the custody of the Islamabad police.
‘No basis for any case against me’
During proceedings before judicial magistrate Naveed Khan at the district and sessions court in Islamabad’s F-8 area, Fawad said that there was no basis for any case against him.
“1,500 policemen are standing outside [the court] and I was handcuffed despite being a lawyer in the Supreme Court,” he said, adding that he had been a federal minister in the past well.
“It is unfortunate that we are taking revenge against each other in politics,” he said. Fawad requested to dismiss the case against him, arguing that if the case continues, free speech would end in the country.
The lawyer for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and Fawad Chaudhry’s counsels both gave their arguments during the proceedings.
The PTI leader was produced in the court in handcuffs, the removal of which was requested by the lawyer.
The investigative officer requested an eight-day physical remand for the PTI leader. Fawad’s lawyers argued against the request for physical remand.
“I never gave a speech but was addressing a media talk during which I was misquoted. I am the spokesperson of the PTI and whatever I say is the party’s policy. It is not necessary that what I say is my own personal opinion,” he argued.
The PTI leader said that he was not threatening the ECP members or their families, saying that he was merely “explaining” the matter.
Fawad said that he was arrested by Lahore police, not the Islamabad police, who have his mobile phone in their possession. He questioned why he was kept detained at a Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) facility as he was not a terrorist.
The ECP lawyer, during his arguments, said that the commission was a constitutional institution and had all the power to conduct elections in the country.
“The ECP is being targeted under a well-thought-out plan and the purpose of Fawad’s speech was to incite people,” he said.
He criticised Fawad for targeting the families of the ECP members, saying that the PTI leader was promoting hatred against the institution.
The lawyer said that the people behind the speech also needed to be identified, adding that there was sufficient evidence in the media against the PTI leader.
The court later reserved the verdict on the police’s request for the physical remand.
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