Punjab Inspector General (IG) Dr. Usman Anwar informed the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday that PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry was detained earlier today for “inciting violence against a constitutional institution.” He was being held in the custody of the Islamabad police.
The revelation was discovered while Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh of the LHC resumed hearing a petition contesting Fawad’s arrest.
The Punjab and Islamabad police chiefs were called before the court to testify regarding the PTI leader’s whereabouts.
The Punjab IG told the court that he was in Rahim Yar Khan, where there were poor mobile signals.
He claimed that the court could “examine his track record” and added, “Once cellphone signals started working, I received the court’s directions regarding Fawad.”
He insisted that he had attempted to contact the Islamabad police but had been unsuccessful, adding that his “operator” was still trying to do so.
“Fawad Chaudhry is not being held by the Punjab police. He is in the custody of the Islamabad police,” IG Anwar informed the court.
The former federal minister was arrested early on Wednesday after an official of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) filed an FIR against him at the Kohsar police station in Islamabad for allegedly “threatening” the members of the electoral body and their families.
Fawad’s brother claims that at 5:30 am, the former federal minister was “taken away” in four unregistered cars. The family was not aware of Fawad’s location at the time, according to Faisal Chaudhry.
He added, “We aren’t even being given information on the FIR that was filed against him. The well-known lawyer Faisal claimed that his brother’s arrest was unlawful and that he would pursue legal action.”
