Islamabad court sends Fawad Chaudhry to jail on 14-day judicial remand in fraud case

ISLAMABAD, Nov 08 (SABAH): An Islamabad district and sessions court on Wednesday sent former federal minister for information and broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry to jail on 14-day judicial remand in a case registered against him for allegedly taking a bribe from a citizen.

The ex-PTI leader was arrested from his residence in Islamabad last week and later remanded in police custody.

According to the first information report, Fawad was arrested in a case registered at the Aabpara police station on August 22, 2022, under sections 109 (punishment of abetment if the Act abetted committed in consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 341(punishment for wrongful restraint), and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Besides Fawad, AML Chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, current and former PTI leaders Murad Saeed, Faisal Javaid Khan, Asad Umer, Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz, Ali Nawaz Khan, Faisal Vawda, Shahzad Wasim, Sadaqat Ali Abbasi, Shibli Faraz, Saifullah Sarwar Khan Nayazi, Shehryar Afridi, Fayyazul Hassan Chohan, Firdous Shamim Naqvi, Asad Qaiser, Zahir Abbas Khokhar, Ghulam Sarwar Khan and over 1,000 unidentified people were also booked in the FIR.

The former minister was brought to the court of Judicial Magistrate Yasir Mahmood on Wednesday by the Aapbara police in an armoured vehicle amid tight security. His wife Hiba Chaudhry and lawyer Qamar Inayat Raja were also present in court.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the hearing, Fawad said there was a need for dialogue among all the political parties in the country.

“After 50 years in politics, if Nawaz Sharif wins the election in this manner, who will accept him as the prime minister? What kind of a premier would he be?” he asked.

Fawad also urged the PML-N supremo — who returned to Pakistan last month — to play his part in reducing the political temperature. “Ayub Khan’s period was good from an economic point of view, but an election in 1965 became a noose around his neck,” he added.

During the hearing on Wednesday, the judicial magistrate granted Fawad permission to consult with his legal team. Coming to the rostrum later, Fawad said today was his third appearance but the complainant had yet to appear before the court.

“Has he been threatened? I have police guards with me,” he said, adding that he had no connection with the complainant. “Arrest me if you want to. If money needs to be recovered, take Rs5,000 or Rs7,000 from me,” Fawad said.

On the other hand, the police submitted a written application in court seeking a five-day extension in Fawad’s physical remand.

Subsequently, the court reserved its verdict and later sent the ex-minister on judicial remand. In a written order, the judicial magistrate said “there seems no justification for grant of physical remand” and directed the police to present Fawad in court on Nov 22.