Fawad Chaudhry, the leader of the PTI, was brought before a court by the Islamabad Police to request a temporary remand to move the former federal minister to the federal capital.
After publicly denouncing the Pakistani government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for plotting to detain party chairman Imran Khan, the PTI leader was arrested outside of his home on Wednesday morning.
The arrest was verified by Islamabad police. On the complaint of ECP Secretary Omer Hamid Khan, a case was opened last night at the Kohsar police station in Islamabad against Chaudhary. He was the subject of a first information report (FIR) for using abusive language toward the ECP and its participants.
At 10 am, police and representatives from the Punjab Counter Terrorism Department escorted Fawad to the Cantt court. PTI lawyers welcomed Fawad and showered him with rose petals.
The PTI official was brought before Rana Mudassir’s court in Lahore’s Cantt.
The investigating officer asked the judge to grant Islamabad police the PTI leader’s transit remand as the session got underway.
Fawad requested a copy of the FIR filed against him from the judge on his behalf. He continued by saying he was proud of the accusations made against him. “Nelson Mandela was likewise the target of these accusations.”
“It is alleged that I engaged in sedition […] I should be treated with respect because I am a former Supreme Court attorney and federal minister,” he stated to the court.
The PTI leader deemed his arrest to have been “improper” in terms of procedure. “I would have come personally if they had called,” he said.
He responded to his criticism of the Pakistani Election Commission (ECP) by claiming that “the entire nation is expressing the same.”
Additionally, Fawad’s attorney informed the magistrate that his client’s transitory remand should not be allowed until the outcome of a habeas corpus appeal before the high court.
The magistrate then took a brief break from the hearing.
