Islamabad Court extends Fawad Chaudhry’s physical remand by two days

An Islamabad court on Saturday approved a petition from police seeking an extension in the physical remand of former information minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry.

It extended the former federal minister’s remand by two days.

The court had reserved the verdict earlier during the day.

The petition, filed by the police, also called for revocation of the order passed by a magistrate that sent the ex-minister on judicial remand.

On Friday, an Islamabad district and sessions court on Friday sent Fawad to Adiala jail on a 14-day judicial remand.

Islamabad court sends Fawad Chaudhry to Adiala jail on 14-day judicial remand

Earlier this week, Fawad was detained after a raid on his home in Lahore. He was accused of having “harassed and intimidated” election commission officials and their families in televised comments on Tuesday, according to the police report.

According to the charges, lodged in Islamabad, he was being held under sedition legislation because he “tried to cause an impediment in the election process of the state”.

Following Fawad’s arrest, he was brought to Lahore’s Cantt where the judicial magistrate granted police his transit remand to Islamabad.

But later, the LHC directed the police to present the politician in Lahore. Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh scrapped a petition for Fawad’s recovery, stating that his arrest was not “unlawful”.

The remarks came after law enforcement agencies (LEAs) also submitted the FIR of the arrest to LHC.

Meanwhile, Inspector General (IG) Punjab Dr Usman Anwar told the high court that Fawad was in the custody of Islamabad Police.

The LHC had earlier postponed the hearing of the case and ordered law enforcement agencies to present Fawad. It also summoned IG Punjab and IG Islamabad.