ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted protective bail to PTI leader and former information minister Fawad Chaudhry and his brother Faraz Ahmed in a case related to allegedly provoking people against the government during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s “Azadi March”.

A single bench of Chief Justice Athar Minallah on Saturday after hearing the arguments granted bails to the PTI leaders against a surety of Rs5,000 each and the petition was disposed of.

The order said the brothers’ counsel had argued that they had been involved in the case “with mala fide intention and ulterior motives”.

Allowing Chaudhry and Ahmed bail, the court said: “Without touching merits of the case and considering the intention to surrender before the court of competent jurisdiction, the petitioners are admitted to protective bail, subject to furnishing surety in the sum of Rs5,000 (rupees five thousand only) with one surety in the like amount (each), to the satisfaction of the deputy registrar (judicial) of this court.”

“The petitioners will be at liberty to deposit cash surety in the light of the policy of this court,” the court order read.

The court also directed the petitioners to approach the court of the competent jurisdiction on or before June 7, stating that “this order will lapse automatically on June 7, 2022”.

Chaudhry and Ahmed had filed a petition for their protective bail in the IHC. A case has been registered against Fawad Chaudhry and Faraz Ahmed for allegedly provoking people against the government and rioting in the jurisdiction of Mangla police in district Jhelum during the PTI’s Azadi March.

Both the brothers and 150 to 200 unidentified suspects were booked in the case on the complaint of SHO Mangla Cantt Sajid Mehmood. Police claimed in the FIR that upon being told their rally was against the law, the PTI supporters became violent and started pelting policemen with stones.

The FIR was registered under Sections 353 (assault or use criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty), 186 (obstructing a public servant in discharge of public functions), 188 (disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of Rs50), 148 (rioting while armed with a deadly weapon) and 149 (every member of an unlawful assembly guilty of an offence committed in prosecution of a common object) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022