ISLAMABAD:
An Islamabad court handed over former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry to the police for two-day physical remand on Sunday.
Chaudhry, who is currently a member of Jahangir Khan Tareen’s Istekhan-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), was taken to an undisclosed location on Saturday after police raided his residence in Islamabad allegedly in connection with a case registered at Abpara Police Station on August 22, 2022.
Producing Chaudhry before a district and sessions court in Islamabad on Sunday, after the former minister’s family filed a plea seeking his recovery, the police requested five-day remand.
He was brought before the court handcuffed amid stringent security in an armoured vehicle with his face covered with a piece of cloth.
Chaudhry’s brothers and wife were present in court.
The complainant Zaheer alleged the former minister had taken Rs5 million from him in exchange for a job, according to the FIR registered against Chaudhry.
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At the outset of the hearing, Chaudhry sought permission to meet his lawyer, which was granted by the magistrate on duty Abbas Shah.
The former minister stated before the court that the alleged complainant Zaheer is “so lazy he could not even come to court”.
He objected to the treatment he was being subjected by the police, including the black cloth covering his face, and said that he was a former minister and a serving Supreme Court lawyer.
He requested access to a doctor citing health concerns and permission to speak with his children.
Meanwhile, the investigation officer stated that Chaudhry never hired Zaheer as promised and threatened the complainant when he asked for his money.
After hearing arguments, the magistrate granted the police two-day physical remand besides directing a medical examination of Chaudhry before and after the remand.
The police was directed to produce Chaudhry before the court on November 7 at 11am.
The FIR against Chaudhry was registered on the complaint of a man named Zaheer under Sections 109 (Punishment of abetment if the Act abetted committed in consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment), 186 (Obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 341(Punishment for wrongful restraint), and 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
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This is the second time in this year that the former PTI leader has been arrested. His arrest also comes a day after another senior party leader, Asad Qaiser, was arrested from his residence.
In September this year, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had dismissed the former information minister’s petition to nullify the contempt case against him by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Fawad had challenged the ECP’s action against him on two forums. He had also issued a verbal apology to the ECP in July when a four-member commission headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja was presiding over the contempt proceedings.
Following the May 9 riots, the senior politician parted ways with the PTI and its chairman Imran Khan.
“[With] ref[erence] to my earlier statement where I unequivocally condemned 9th May incidents, I have decided to take a break from politics, therefore, I have resigned from party position and parting ways from Imran Khan,” he wrote on his official Twitter handle.
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