Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senior Vice-President Fawad Chaudhry has been arrested outside the Supreme Court (SC) in Islamabad on Wednesday, Geo News reported.
The development comes amid the ongoing crackdown on the PTI leaders and workers. Fawad Chaudhry was present inside the Pakistan Supreme Court since 11 am (local time) in a bid to evade arrest, as per the news report. Chaudhry was arrested after he came out of the apex court premises. The Islamabad police has arrested Chaudhry under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Ordinance (MPO) and shifted him to the Secretariat Police Station.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf tweeted, “SVP @fawadchaudhry has been arrested outside Supreme Court despite having protective bail from IHC till 12th May. Law of the jungle is ruling in Pakistan.”
Speaking to reporters before his arrest, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said the lawyers community had become weak as there was infighting among them. He said, “Never has a petitioner been arrested in such a manner,” Geo News reported. He further said that Islamabad High Court had a day earlier, approved his pre-arrest bail which he had shown to Islamabad police earlier in the day.
Chaudhry said Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s arrest has resulted in a division in the country, as per the Geo News report. He said that space should be given to political opponents to pave the way for dialogue. Before Fawad Chaudhry’s arrest, the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested PTI Secretary General Asad Umar from the premises of the Islamabad High Court.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s accountability court has granted the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) eight-day remand of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust graft case, Samaa reported. The Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir had earlier heard the case and reserved his verdict.
At the outset of the hearing, the country’s top anti-corruption body sought 14-day physical remand of the former premier, Samaa reported. Imran’s council contended that NAB has no jurisdiction in the case, adding the anti-graft watchdog also did not share the inquiry report.
He maintained that a fair trial is Imran Khan’s fundamental right. “Imran Khan’s trial should be held in open court,” his counsel urged the court. After the hearing, the former PM’s lawyer held a press conference where he claimed that Khan alleged in court that he was tortured in custody and was not allowed to even use the washroom, according to the video posted by PTI’s official Twitter handle.
On Tuesday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Khan was arrested in a graft case, and presented before the accountability court at the Police Lines Headquarters. The accountability bureau will investigate the former premier at the Police Lines. Protests have erupted in Pakistan after Imran Khan’s arrest. The protests have led to widespread destruction of properties.
