Islamabad court approves bail of PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry

A court in Islamabad on Thursday approved the bail of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Fawad Chaudhry in the sedition case registered against him.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Faizan Haider Gillani granted bail to former information minister in a case registered against him for ‘threatening’ members of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The judge granted the bail to the PTI leader against Rs20,000 worth of surety bonds.

A first information report (FIR) against him was registered at Islamabad’s Kohsar police station on a complaint from ECP Secretary Umar Hameed.

The FIR stated that Chaudhry, in a speech outside PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s house, had allegedly threatened the ECP and their family members.

Fawad Chaudhry was arrested by police from Lahore during the wee hours of January 25 for threatening CEC.

The first information report (FIR) was filed against him for his speech where he allegedly stated that the status of the ECP is the same as a ‘secretary’ and the ‘chief election commissioner signs documents like a clerk’.

The former minister was arrested shortly after he held a press conference in Lahore, where he threatened the members of the ECP and their families with repercussions if “those involved in the May 25 incident,” were appointed (in Punjab caretaker setup) or retained in their positions.

He also strongly criticized the appointment of Mohsin Naqvi as Punjab’s caretaker chief minister and stated that “those who are being appointed as the caretaker of [Punjab] government will be followed until they are punished”.

He also reported to have lodged a formal complaint with the ECP against the appointment of those directly involved in the crackdown in Punjab.

The complaint invokes 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 (PPC).