Islamabad (Web Desk): A district and sessions court on Friday sent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry to jail on a 14-day judicial remand in a sedition case filed against him by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for allegedly inciting violence against the electoral body.
The PTI leader was produced before the court after the completion of two-day physical remand in a sedition case.
During the hearing, the prosecutor requested the court to extend physical remand of the former minister as the investigation team needed more time to complete the probe.
Reading out the content of the First Information Report (FIR), he said that Fawad Chaudhry attempted to incite violence against ECP officials and their families.
The prosecution remarked that Fawad may be a senior politician but "no one is above the law", adding that it is necessary to search his house and recover his laptop and mobile.
Fawad Chaudhry’s counsel Babar Awan, expressing reservations over treatment to his client, said that the PTI leader was treated as a “terrorist”.
He said the statement of Mr Chaudhry was reflection of public opinion against the ECP. He also requested the court to discharge his client’s name from the case.
The PTI leader's counsel Advocate Babar Awan responded that "Fawad Chaudhary is not a terrorist".
"The Election Commission has made itself a government," remarked the lawyer, saying that the ECP's job is to conduct elections.
He questioned, "if the Election Commission is the plaintiff in a case against me, how can I ask them for justice in the elections?"
Speaking in front of the court, Fawad said that his words "are not just his own but they are the party's words and communicates the PTI's stance".
Following the conclusion of the arguments, the judge approved Fawad’s request to have his handcuffs removed inside the court and also reserved its verdict on the issue of remand extension.
Later, announcing the verdict, the court sent Fawad to judicial remand instead of physical remand.
PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry was arrested by Islamabad police from his Lahore’s residence on charges of sedition in the early hours of Wednesday and shifted to the federal capital the same day.
Later on Wednesday the court approved a two-day physical remand of the PTI leader in a sedition case turning down the Islamabad Police's request of eight-day physical remand of the former federal minister.
Following the order, the capital's police shifted the former federal information minister to the Counter-Terrorism Department's (CTD) complex in Sector H-11.
As per the The FIR registered at the Kohsar Police Station on the complaint of ECP Secretary Umar Hameed accused Fawad of “inciting violence against a constitutional institution”. It was registered under sections 153-A (promotion of enmity between groups), 506 (criminal intimidation), 505 (statement conducing to public mischief) and 124-A (sedition) of the Pakistan Penal Code.