LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry was presented before Cantt Court in Lahore after being arrested by the police outside his house early Wednesday morning, on charges of sedition after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) filed a complaint against him for publicly threatening its members and their families.
Fawad being taken from CTD Lahore to Cantt court. One unarmed politician abducted in early hours today now being escorted by this huge contingent. Mohsin Naqvi doesn't waste time to show his virulent hatred of PTI & also do his Masters bidding. Disgusting. pic.twitter.com/YWTmI5uG9L
— Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) January 25, 2023
According to his brother, Faisal Chaudhry, the ECP was already targeting the PTI leader for his criticism of them. A first information report (FIR) against the PTI leader, lodged by Secretary of the Election Commission Umar Hameed at Kohsar police station in Islamabad, was shared by the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police. This FIR references sections 153-A (promotion of enmity between groups), 506 (criminal intimidation), 505 (statement inciting public mischief) and 124-A (sedition) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
Disgusting. ECP was after my brother since long. It’s A farce Thy must know we won’t bow down we’ll keep exposing wrong doings of ECPمعمولی گیڈڑ بھبکیاںں سچ بولنے سے روک نہیں سکتیں ECP کافی دنوں سے چوہدری صاحب کے پیچھے پڑا تھا۔ یہ ایک جھوٹا مقدمہ ہے ہم ہر زیادتی کی خلاف لڑیں گے https://t.co/JXd7x9i6kP
— Faisal Hussain (@faisal_fareed) January 25, 2023
آئینی ادارے کی درخواست پر پی ٹی آئی رہنما فواد چوہدری کے خلاف مقدمہ درج کیا گیا۔
سیکرٹری الیکشن کمیشن آف پاکستان کی درخواست پر تھانہ کوہسار میں درج کیا گیا۔
فواد چوہدری نے چیف الیکشن کمشنر اور ممبران کو ان کے فرائض منصبی سے روکنے کے لئے ڈرایا دھمکایا۔
1/2— Islamabad Police (@ICT_Police) January 25, 2023
The wife of the PTI leader, Hiba Fawad, called this incident a kidnapping. “No FIR was shown to the family. 8-10 police officials entered our home… grabbed him, and left… We do not even know where they took him. We have not been told or given any information.” Meanwhile, Chaudhry has been reportedly detained at Cantt Kacheri, Lahore. He has been brought to the Cantt court amid heavy security.
یہ گرفتاری نہیں، یہ اغوا ہے، ہمارے گھر کے اندر8سے10پولیس والے آئے،بغیر کوئی ایف آئی آر دکھائے اٹھاکر لے گئے، اہلیہ فواد چودھری حبا فواد کی ہم نیوز سے گفتگو#FawadChaudhry pic.twitter.com/FESVnzra9X
— HUM News (@humnewspakistan) January 25, 2023
پولیس کی یہ گاڑیاں فواد چوہدری کو گرفتار کرکے لے جارہی ہے pic.twitter.com/y0R2bebffK
— PTI (@PTIofficial) January 25, 2023
Several PTI leaders have condemned the arrest as being undemocratic, while pointing towards the political victimisation of the party’s political workers. Videos showing a convoy of police vehicles claiming to carry Chaudhry have also been shared on social media.
The series of unlawful activities continues. @fawadchaudhry’s phone have been switched on at CTD station, and messages are being read. Fascism of this regime in unprecedented. pic.twitter.com/QtGpxUQcyP
— PTI (@PTIofficial) January 25, 2023
پولیس کی یہ گاڑیاں فواد چوہدری کو گرفتار کرکے لے جارہی ہے pic.twitter.com/CJXiAHO3fQ
— Farrukh Habib (@FarrukhHabibISF) January 25, 2023
فواد چودھری کی علی الصبح بغیر وارنٹ گرفتاری اس ملک کی جمہوریت اور قانون کی بالادستی پر ایک زوردار طمانچہ ھے۔ کیا قصور ھے فواد کا؟ کس جرم کے تحت اٹھایا گیا؟ خدارا پاکستان کے ساتھ کھلواڑ بند کیا جائے ورنہ حالات کسی کے قابو میں نہیں رہیں گے ۔
— Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) January 25, 2023
Utterly shameful. Arresting @fawadchaudhry bec he called ecp secy a Munshi! Fascism at its worst. How can calling someone a Munshi or any other derogatory term even be a cause for arrest? Let alone keeping him at CTD lockup? Terrorists roam free but political opponents arrested!
— Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) January 25, 2023
فواد چوہدری کو فوری طور پر رہا کیا جائے-ظلم کے یہ ضابطے ہم نہیں مانتے- اس امپورٹڈ حکومت نے انسانی حقوق کی پامالیوں کے سارے ریکارڈ توڑ ڈالے-عدلیہ سے انصاف کی اپیل کرتے ہیں-فواد کیخلاف کوئی مقدمہ نہیں-پی ڈی ایم بیانات پر کیا کاروائی کی گئی؟ کیا انہیں گرفتار کیا؟@fawadchaudhry
— Faisal Javed Khan (@FaisalJavedKhan) January 25, 2023
Strongly condemn the arrest of @fawadchaudhry by the #ImportedGovernmentNaManzoor
Pakistan has become a lawless state at the hands of these lawbreaking lawmakers and corrupt law enforcement officers!
All hell bent on pushing this country towards anarchy!
— Ali Haider Zaidi (@AliHZaidiPTI) January 25, 2023
Minutes before he was arrested, he was seen tweeting about political workers gathered outside PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence, shunning the government’s alleged plan to arrest the party chief.
Zaman Park Imran Khan Residence at this hour pic.twitter.com/eO2270D9K6
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) January 25, 2023
