Fawad Chaudhry was arrested outside the Supreme Court (SC) in Islamabad, Geo News reported. He was arrested during the crackdown on the PTI leaders and workers…reports Asian Lite News
Pakistan’s former Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry has been arrested from his home in Islamabad and taken to an “unknown place” on Saturday, Pakistan-based Geo News reported. Fawad Chaudhry’s wife Hiba Fawad Chaudhary has confirmed his arrest.
Hiba Fawad Chaudhary said that Fawad Chaudhry was arrested by police and men wearing plain clothes. Speaking to Geo News, Hiba Fawad Chaudhry said, “We have not been told why Fawad is being arrested.”
She has also confirmed his arrest on X. In a post on X, Hiba Fawad Chaudhry said, “Fawad Arrested and taken to unknown place.”
Earlier in May, Fawad Chaudhry was arrested outside the Supreme Court (SC) in Islamabad, Geo News reported. He was arrested during the crackdown on the PTI leaders and workers.
Chaudhry was present inside the Pakistan Supreme Court since 11 am (local time) in a bid to evade arrest, as per the news report. He, however, was arrested after he came out of the apex court premises.
The Islamabad police had arrested Chaudhry under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Ordinance (MPO) and shifted him to the Secretariat Police Station.
The Islamabad Court had later issued a production order for Fawad Chaudhry. Following this, he was presented before the high court on May 16 and granted relief, Dawn reported. However, an attempt was made to rearrest him but Fawad Chaudhry approached court and requested blanket relief from the single-member bench regarding cases lodged against him.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief and former prime minister Imran Khan moved to the Supreme Court seeking post-arrest bail in the cypher case, as reported by The News International on Friday.
Imran Khan filed the plea through his counsel Salman Safdar. In his 18-page bail plea, the PTI chief challenged the Islamabad High Court’s verdict against halting the proceedings of the cypher case against him, dismissing his petitions and allowing interrogation, The News International reported.
Among the questions raised, Khan is seeking the Supreme Court to consider whether the courts that rejected his bail plea took into account that the cypher case was “politically motivated.” Additionally, he is questioning the role of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) jurisdiction in the case and its “malafide intentions and ulterior motives.”
Khan has inquired, “Whether the Ministry of Interior correctly assumed the role of Complainant, excluding the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which actually handles the ‘Cypher Telegram,’ and whether the Minister of Interior, under whose direct supervision the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) operates, was not a political opponent of the Petitioner?”
The petition aims to have the top court determine whether the Islamabad High Court “failed to properly understand and appreciate that the petitioner, as Prime Minister of Pakistan, did not violate the Oath and also enjoyed ‘Immunity’ as provided under Article 248.”
In the case’s “interest of justice and fair play,” the PTI chief is seeking post-arrest bail from the Supreme Court, The News International reported. (ANI)
