LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) MPA Nazir Chohan, a prominent member of the Jahangir Khan Tareen group, was arrested by police on Tuesday in a case lodged by adviser to the prime minister on interior and accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar.

He was however granted bail by a judicial magistrate later in the day.

Racecourse police arrested Chohan from the office of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) where he had gone to see its director general.

Later, the police presented the MPA before a judicial magistrate at the Cantonment Courts and sought his physical remand. The investigating officer stated that custody of the suspect was required for the verification of his video clip and voice.

The magistrate, however, observed that the offences mentioned in the FIR were bailable.

The magistrate allowed post-arrest bail to Chohan subject to furnishing bail bonds of Rs100,000.

The police were directed to shift the MPA to jail on judicial remand if he did not deposit the bonds.

The magistrate adjourned further hearing till Aug 10 and sought a police report in the case.

According to the FIR, Akbar accused Chohan of levelling allegations concerning his religious beliefs during an appearance on a television channel, which put his life at risk.

The FIR carried offences under sections 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 189 (threat of injury to public servant), 298 (making statements with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings) and 153 (provoking to cause riot) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Talking to newsmen outside the court, Chohan said his arrest was illegal and unfair. He said police took no action on his application against Akbar. He demanded that

Prime Minister Imran Khan take notice of his arrest.

MPA Chohan had visited the police station with a rally and presented himself for the arrest after the registration of the FIR against him in May last. However, the police had refused to arrest him, being not needed at that time.

Tareen group spokesperson MNA Raja Riaz condemned the arrest of Chohan and said that his group would soon hold a meeting in this regard to formulate a strategy.

Another source in the party said a meeting would be held on Wednesday (today) to take note of the situation that emerged after the arrest of Chohan.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2021