Imran’s aide arrested over sedition charges
FAWAD HELD FOR ‘THREATENING POLL PANEL MEMBERS’
Fawad Chaudhry, a senior leader of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and Imran Khan’s aide, was arrested from outside his residence yesterday morning over sedition charges.
The arrest came after he held a press conference outside Khan’s Zaman Park residence in Lahore where PTI supporters had gathered early in the morning amid speculations that Imran Khan might be arrested.
Fawad Chaudhry’s brother confirmed the arrest on Twitter. “My elder brother and former federal minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain has been illegally picked up from his house in Lahore by unknown persons in vehicles without number plates,” said Faisal Hussain, who is a lawyer.
Around 10am yesterday, videos on social media showed that Fawad Chaudhry was brought to the Cantonment court in Lahore amid tight security by officials of the Punjab Counter Terrorism Department and police.
Case registered
Islamabad police said that a case had been registered against Fawad Chaudhry at the Kohsar police station in Islamabad on the complaint of the secretary of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for using “threatening language against the ECP and its members”. In a statement on Twitter, Islamabad police said that Fawad attempted to “incite violence against constitutional institutions and inflame the sentiments of the people”.
The arrest of an outspoken critic of the government is a major setback for the party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, in which he serves as vicepresident. The party quickly condemned the arrest and demanded his release.
Khan also denounced the arrest, claiming on Twitter that it left no doubt that Pakistan has become a place “devoid of rule of law.” He urged followers to “stand up for our fundamental rights” to prevent the country from drifting toward “a point of no return.”
Shireen Mazari, a spokesperson for Khan’s party, said Chaudhry was taken in handcuffs straight to Lahore court.
Chaudhry’s wife, Hiba Fawad, told reporters that security forces were rough with her husband, pushed him into a vehicle and whisked him away. “There is a procedure to follow if you want to arrest someone,” she said.
Footage released later by the party showed Chaudhry’s supporters gathered at the court and throwing rose petals at him as police led him toward a courtroom. Angered over his arrest, hundreds of Chaudhry’s supporters blocked a key highway in Jhelum, his home city in Punjab province, for his release.
Information Minister Marriyum
Aurangzeb later yesterday claimed Chaudhry’s arrest was not political and that he is not a case of “political victimisation.” Chaudhry was arrested after publicly threatening election officials — and even members of their families, she said. “This arrest was made on a complaint from the election commission,” Aurangzeb said.
“If we had any intention to make political arrests, we might have arrested Imran Khan, but we had no such intention,” Aurangzeb said.
This arrest was made on a complaint from the election commission. If we had any intention to make political arrests, we might have arrested Imran Khan, but we had no such intention.”
Marriyum Aurangzeb | Information Minister
Caretaker CM
On Tuesday, Chaudhry criticised the elections overseeing body for appointing a veteran journalist, Mohsin Naqvi, as caretaker chief minister in Punjab. Khan’s party and its allies were in power in Punjab and held majority seats in the provincial assembly but dissolved the house earlier this month, a move that apparently sought to pressure the government in Islamabad.
The dissolution of the provincial assembly set in motion snap elections, which under the constitution are to be held within 90 days.