LHC rejects pleas challenging arrest of PTI leader Fawad Chaudhary

Lahore: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday rejected a petition against arrest of PTI leader Fawad Chaudhary, holding that his detention was “not illegal”.

Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh announced the verdict on the pleas challenging the PTI leader’s arrest.  The judge had earlier repeatedly directed the authorities concerned to produce Fawad before the court.

Fawad Chaudhary was arrested from his residence in Lahore on Wednesday morning after he was booked in a case regarding threats to the ECP, its members and the people sitting in the government.

Earlier, Justice Sheikh asked the Advocate General Punjab (AGP) Jawad Yaqub about location of PTI leader Fawad Chaudhary and summoned Inspector General of Police, Punjab, and Islamabad at 6 pm today.

“Where is Fawad Chaudhary?,” asked Justice Sheikh while hearing petition challenging arrest of the PTI leader Fawad Chaudhary.

At the outset of the hearing today, Justice Sheikh instructed the police to present Fawad in court by 1:30pm.

Later, the court resumed the hearing and asked the law officer about Fawad and his location to which he replied that he was not in the position to apprise the court about his location.

Advocate Azhar Siddiquie, who was representing the PTI leader, told the court that they came to know that Fawad was being taken to Islamabad.

Justice Sheikh while addressing the law officer observed, “Even if he [Fawad] has reached Islamabad, bring him back and present him before the court.”

The AAG in response to the query said that he would ensure that the court’s orders were executed as he conveyed the orders to the relevant authorities.

The AAG replied that Fawad was in the custody of the Islamabad police after which Justice Sheikh summoned the inspector generals of Islamabad and Punjab to court.

“The IGs of Islamabad and Punjab should appear in the court by 6pm,” he said and instructed the LHC registrar to immediately communicate the orders to them.

The petition came after Islamabad police arrested Fawad Chaudhary from his residence and sought his transitory remand to shift him to Islamabad in a case registered against him on Tuesday night for allegedly inciting people against Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The local court, however, allowed his transitory remand on the request of the Islamabad police.

He was accused of threatening ECP members, the people sitting in the government and their families.

Faisal Chaudhary, the brother of Fawad Chaudhary, approached the court and said that his brother was taken away in four vehicles and he did not know their number plates. He told the court that it was around 5: 30 am when they took his brother from his home while his family is complete unaware about location of Fawad.

“We have not been provided any details regarding the FIR against Fawad,” said Faisal, terming his brother’s arrest as illegal and unlawful.

Faisal, who is a lawyer by profession, said he would continue to fight legal battle in the court for recovery and safety of his brother.

Nabeel Shahzad, the cousin of Fawad, also moved a separate petition against the arrest and made the Punjab government, provincial police officer, counter-terrorism department, deputy inspector general of police (operation) and station house officer of Defence A as respondents.