Islamabad: Senior PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry was arrested from his house in Lahore in the early hours of Wednesday, said fellow party member Farrukh Habib, amid reports that the government was planning the same for PTI Chairman Imran Khan.
فواد چوہدری کو پولیس نے ان کے گھر سے ابھی گرفتار کرلیا ہے۔ امپورٹڈ حکومت بوکھلاہٹ کا شکار ہوگئی ہے
— Farrukh Habib (@FarrukhHabibISF) January 25, 2023
Speaking to a local news channel, however, Fawad Chaudhry’s family that they were unaware of his location.
“We are also not being given any details of the FIR (first information report) registered against him,” said Faisal Chaudhry, Fawad’s brother.
The development has also been confirmed by the Islamabad Capital Territory Police, who, in a statement, said that the arrest was carried out based on a case registered against the PTI leader at the request of the Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
“Fawad Chaudhry threatened the Chief Election Commissioner and members to prevent them from performing their duties,” the statement said.
It further said that the former federal minister had tried to create “violence against the constitutional institutions” and inflame the sentiments of the people.
فواد چوہدری نے آئینی اداروں کے خلاف شرانگیزی پیدا کرنے اور لوگوں کے جذبات مشتعل کرنے کی کوشش کی ہے۔
مقدمے پر قانون کے مطابق کارروائی عمل میں لائی جارہی ہے۔
2/2#ICTP— Islamabad Police (@ICT_Police) January 25, 2023
The First Information Report (FIR) registered against Fawad Chaudhry at the Kohsar police station stated that Chaudhry, in a speech outside PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s house, threatened the ECP and said that “those who become part of the caretaker government [in Punjab] will be pursued until they are punished”.
Meanwhile, PTI’s official Twitter account said Fawad was being taken to the Cantt court by officials of the police and Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), Lahore.
فواد چوہدری کو درجنوں پولیس, CTD اور نامعلوم گاڑیوں کے حصار میں کینٹ کچہری کی طرف روانہ کر دیا گیا- #ReleaseFawadCh
pic.twitter.com/UDLgzgS4zK— PTI (@PTIofficial) January 25, 2023
Condemnation
Reacting to the development, Vice-Chairman PTI Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that Fawad Chaudhary’s arrest without a warrant was a “strong slap” on the democracy and rule of law of this country.
He asked what was Fawad’s fault and under what crime he had been abducted.
“Please stop playing with Pakistan. Otherwise, the situation will not be under anyone’s control,” he warned
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
PTI Sindh President Ali Haider Zaidi slammed the government over the arrest.
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
