LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: A judge in the capital on Tuesday deferred the grant of post-arrest bail to PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) sought time to submit a reply in the case.

Meanwhile, Islamabad and Punjab police have told the Lahore High Court that the PTI leader was booked in five cases.

Islamabad Additional District and Sessions Judge Faizan Haider Gilani took up Mr Chaudhry’s bail petition.

ECP lawyer Saad Hassan requested the court to adjourn proceedings until Thursday and sought copies of the plea filed by Mr Chaudhry.

However, the court denied the request and adjourned proceedings till Wednesday (today).

During the hearing, Mr Chaudhry’s cou­nsel Babar Awan, spouse Hiba Cha­udhry, bothers Advocate Faisal Hussain and Faraz Chaudhry, and PTI leader Zulfi Bukhari, Azam Khan Swati, Shah­zad Waseem, Hammad Azhar and others appeared before the court.

Mr Chaudhry has been under arrest for allegedly ‘inciting people’ against the ECP.

FIRs against PTI leader

Separately, Islamabad DSP Legal has submitted the details of cases registered against Mr Chaudhry with the LHC.

Five cases registered against PTI leader in Punjab, Islamabad, LHC told

The police has 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 the PTI leader.

It stated that Aabpara police registered an FIR on Aug 22, 2022, on charges of obstructing public servants in the discharge of functions and violation of the Amplifier Act. However, the former minister was yet to be arrested in this case.

The second FIR was lodged with the Kohsar police on Jan 25, 2023, on charges of extending threats to an ECP member and his family. The charges of sedition, under Section 124-A of PPC, were also included in the case.

In its report, Punjab police stated three cases were registered against the PTI leader in Jhelum, Attock and Faisalabad.

It added that two cases have been quashed while Mr Chaudhry has been declared innocent in the third FIR registered in Attock district.

FIA also told the court that it did not require Mr Chaudhry in any case.

The reports were submitted after Mr Chaudhry’s cousin, Nabeel Shahzad, filed a petition with the court demanding details of the cases.

Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh, who took up the matter on Tuesday, also overruled a registrar office’s objection on another petition seeking contempt proceedings against Punjab and Islamabad police chiefs for not producing Mr Chaudhry before the court despite orders.

The office objected that the petitioner did not furnish the copies of the court’s order allegedly violated. After overruling the objection, Justice Sheikh directed the office to fix the petition for hearing.

LHC seeks record

In another case, the LHC directed the Punjab police to furnish details of cases registered against Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain and Farrukh Habib.

Hearing petitions filed by the PTI and PML-Q leaders, a two-judge bench headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi directed the police to submit the record on Feb 20.

Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2023