ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehre­ek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader and former minister for information Fawad Chaudhry on Friday sought bail after the judicial magistrate rejected plea for extending his physical remand and sent him to Adiala jail.

While judicial magistrate Waqas Ahmed Raja sent the PTI leader to jail on 14-day judicial remand, Fawad Chaudhry moved an application through his attorney before additional district and sessions judge Faizan Haider Gillani seeking post-arrest bail.

In his plea, the PTI leader contended that the allegations levelled against him in the FIR were false, frivolous and baseless. He said the case against him was based on mala fide intention, alleging that the government was trying to ‘blackmail’ him.

The court issued notice to the state and adjourned hearing till Saturday (today).

Mr Chaudhry was booked by the Kohsar police station on a complaint of Election Commission Secretary Umar Hameed. Police invoked 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 against him.

Court issues notice to govt on PTI leader’s bail plea

The FIR stated that Mr Chaudhry, in a speech outside PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s house, had threatened the ECP announcing “those who become part of the caretaker government will be pursued until they are punished”.

Photogrammetric test

Appearing before the judicial magistrate Waqas Raja, the prosecution contended that during the two days of physical remand, the investigation team conducted voice match test of Mr Chaudhry and his further custody was required for the photogrammetric test to be conducted by the Punjab Forensic Science Agency, Lahore.

Deputy district prosecutor Adnan Ali contended that Mr Chaudhry was directly nominated in the FIR, adding that the FIR content made it a clear case of sedition and prompting enmity between different groups.

Saad Hassan, the counsel for the ECP, supported the request of the investigation officer for extending the remand. He argued that in order to investigate motive for the threat and to dig out factors and those behind the alleged occurrence, the custody of Mr Chaudhry’s physical remand be extended.

Request to block SIM

Fawad Chaudhry, on the other hand, apprised the court “no offence is made out against him and he is spokesperson of his party so he was representing the version of his political party”. He also submitted a handwritten application seeking to block his phone SIM, which was in the possession of police.

Babar Awan, counsel for Fawad Chaudhry, argued that since the investigation officer conceded that there was no case of sedition, the court might order release of Mr Chaudhry or can ask him to submit surety bonds.

The judge, however, sent him to jail on judicial remand of two weeks after rejecting the requests of both sides. The judge observed that since Mr Chaudhry’s voice-match test had already been done and the police had his phone there was no need of extending the physical remand.

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2023