ISLAMABAD - District and Sessions Judge Tahir Mehmood Khan Saturday extended the physical remand of PTI leader and former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry for two days on the request of police investigators.
The DSJ had also reversed the order of a judicial magistrate who had sent Fawad Chaudhry to Adiala Jail on 14 days of judicial remand in a sedition case.
When DSJ Tahir Mehmood Khan took up case, he ordered police investigators to produce the former federal information minister before a magistrate.
PTI lawyers including Dr Babar Awan, Ali Bukhari and Faisal Chaudhry appeared before court on behalf of Fawad Chaudhry while Saad Hassan represented the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in the case registered against Fawad Chaudhry for hurling threats towards ECP officers and their families. Hiba Chaudhry, the wife of accused, was also present in the courtroom.
Following the earlier order to send the PTI leader on judicial remand, police filed an appeal against the decision and requested that the decision of Judicial Magistrate Waqas Ahmed Raja be annulled and further physical remand of Fawad be granted.
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The prosecutor argued that investigators needed the physical custody of accused as they had to conduct photogrammetry tests and recoveries.
He said that police only had a one-day remand and could not complete the investigation. He said that police will also recover mobile, laptop and other devices from house of Fawad Chaudhry to ascertain as to who was involved behind this crime. He told judge police had matched voice of Fawad Chaudhry from FIA.
On this, Dr Babar Awan annoyed over ECP lawyer for coming over rostrum. The prosecutor said that police will have to take Fawad to Lahore for photogrammetry test. The investigators pleaded court to award them seven days physical remand of accused.
On the occasion, an exchange of harsh words also occurred between ECP lawyer and Dr Babar Awan, who was contesting on behalf of Fawad Chaudhry.
Dr Babar Awan argued before the court that Fawad is in jail and authorities had denied the permission to have a meeting with him. He said it was happening for the first time that accused is being produced before court by covering face with a piece of cloth. “This is violation of human rights,” he said adding that Fawad was not even allowed to meet with his legal team in temporary lock up in court. “The authorities had not given the right of meeting to children of Fawad Chaudhry but they allowed mother of Kalbhoshan Yadav for meeting with him in lock up,” he said.
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Dr Babar Awan recalled before the court that police had not lodged cases against other politicians and officers for their alleged involved in striping off clothes of Azam Swati and dubbing Dr Shireen Mazari as tractor trolley. Dr Babar Awam had also red before the court the transcript of talk of Fawad Chaudhry and raised question as to where he (Fawad) hurled threats towards ECP. He stated Fawad did not issue any statement due to which the security of country was put into danger. After completion of arguments of both parties, the court gave Fawad Chaudhry into custody of police for two more days and ordered the investigators to produce accused before court again on January 30 for further proceedings.