An Islamabad sessions court on Saturday granted the police a two-day physical remand of PTI leader Shehryar Afridi over a case pertaining to the May 9 riots.

Afridi was arrested on May 16 from his Islamabad residence under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, 1960, which enables the government to arrest any person. On May 30, he was rearrested shortly after his release from a Rawalpindi prison under the same MPO law, with the city police officer accusing Afridi of “instigating/planning to organise unlawful assembly/commit violence, deliver unlawful speeches to cause damage to human life and public/private properties”.

Despite the Islamabad High Court (IHC) overruling his detention orders on June 6, Afridi was being kept in a death cell at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, following which the IHC warned the capital police officials of contempt proceedings.

Judge Naveed Khan presided over the hearing today while Advocate Sher Afzal Marwat appeared as Afridi’s counsel.

The hearing

At the outset of the hearing, the investigation officer sought Afridi’s five-day physical remand, saying that his photogrammetric and voice-matching tests were yet to be conducted.

At this, Afridi’s counsel objected to the request: “Shehryar Afridi’s videos were obtained from social media. Hence, a photogrammetric test is not needed.”

Advocate Marwat then proceeded to request the court that his client be allowed to meet his family, to which the court accepted the request and let Afridi’s family meet him in the courtroom on the occasion.

At this point during the hearing, Afridi came on the rostrum, visibly emotional.

“My brother passed away but I was not allowed to attend his funeral,” he lamented.

The PTI leader recalled that he had “given lectures in universities and colleges on patriotism”. He asserted that it was his Constitutional right to protest and argued that he had not taken the law into his own hands.

The judge subsequently reserved his verdict on the matter, which he announced later by granting the police a two-day physical remand of Afridi.

Was not involved in Rana Sanaullah’s arrest, Afridi says

Responding to questions if he would be “holding a press conference” — a reference to leaving the PTI — Afridi averted giving a direct answer.

Upon being asked by a reporter if the current government was avenging the 2019 arrest of incumbent Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah during the previous PTI government — when Afridi was the state minister for interior — the PTI leader denied the allegations of him being behind Sanaullah’s arrest.

“The head of the Anti-Narcotics Force is [a] major [or] general. ANF had arrested him on the basis of intelligence reports. They had all the [evidence] against Rana Sanaullah,” Afridi asserted.

On the matter of numerous party leaders leaving the PTI, he said, “Will not say anything about those who left the party and went. Only God knows the circumstances under which they left the party and the reasons behind it.

“These trials come [in life]. May God make us all esteemed,” he added.

Fawad to be indicted on June 24 in ECP threatening case

Meanwhile, an Islamabad district and sessions court said Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party leader Fawad Chaudhry would be indicted on June 24 in a case of threatening and “inciting violence against a constitutional institution” — the Election Commission of Pakistan.

During the hearing today, Fawad appeared before Additional Sessions Judge Tahir Abbas Supra.

The court provided a copy of the case filed against him to Fawad and adjourned the hearing till June 24, along with ordering that his appearance be ensured that day.

On Feb 1, Fawad was granted bail on the condition that he would not repeat any such words that can incite violence against a constitutional institution. However, in March, the ECP had issued a bailable arrest warrant for him.

PTI’s Ejaz Chaudhry sent on 3-day physical remand

Separately, a Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) granted the Punjab police a three-day physical remand of PTI leader Ejaz Chaudhry in a case regarding the May 9 vandalism that was registered at the Shadman police station.

The investigation officer had requested the court for his physical remand in order to conduct further investigation, which the court accepted.

The ATC directed him to appear before the court again on June 20.

On May 29, a Lahore ATC had sent Chaudhry to jail on judicial remand, turning down the police request to extend his physical remand.

Additional reporting by Rana Bilal.