ISLAMABAD
\nA judicial magistrate in Islamabad has sent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry on a two-day physical remand in a sedition case.
\nJudicial Magistrate Waqas Ahmed Raja announced the verdict after \u2014 earlier in the day \u2014 a district and sessions court accepted the Islamabad Police\u2019s petition overturning a decision that sent the former minister on judicial remand and rejected Fawad\u2019s plea to discharge him from the sedition case.
\nFawad \u2014 who is facing sedition charges for publicly \u201cthreatening\u201d the members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in a media talk \u2014 was arrested from his Lahore residence on Wednesday after a case was registered against him at the Kohsar Police Station.
\nHe was presented before the court on Friday after the expiry of his physical remand, however, the prosecution\u2019s request for an extension was turned down by Judicial Magistrate Waqas Ahmed Raja. Later, the decision was overturned by the session court.
\nThe hearing
\nDuring the hearing, PTI lawyer Babar Awan termed the \u201ctactics\u201d being used against Fawad as \u201cstate\u2019s terrorism\u201d and noted that the session judge has limited powers to review a court decision.
\n\u201cThe power to grant physical and judicial remand lies with the magistrate. Sessions court does not have the power to physically remand anyone. The court cannot practice fictitious powers.\u201d
\nAs the prosecution repeatedly said that it wants a photogrammetric test, Awan said: \u201cI can assure you that Fawad is real, not fake.\u201d
\nFawad\u2019s brother, Faisal Chaudhary, also said that the PTI leader\u2019s mobile phone had been taken away.
\n\u201cWhat was the need for taking the phone? The statement was made by Fawad \u2014 who has already owned his assertions, not by the phone,\u201d Faisal, who is a lawyer by profession, said.
\nAwan also slammed the decision of the sessions judge, saying that he had given a hasty decision.
\n\u201cThe judge did not even give us a chance to consult each other,\u201d Awan complained, adding, \u201cwhat Fawad did, the whole of Pakistan is doing. It\u2019s just that when people begin to pay heed to what someone is saying, the person becomes a problem.\u201d
\nAwan reiterated that Fawad was not going anywhere, adding that even if there is any problem, Fawad would get treatment in Pakistan at his own expense.
\nThe court later allowed Fawad to confer with his legal team and meet his wife.
\nFawad\u2019s lawyers Saturday also filed a petition in the Judicial Magistrate\u2019s Court.
\nThe petition stated that despite the court order, Fawad was not being allowed to meet his legal team, or his family, and the police should be instructed to ensure that Fawad is permitted to meet his legal counsel and family.
\nFor his part, the prosecutor said that a judicial magistrate cannot review the decision of a sessions court and demanded that the judicial magistrate announce his verdict on physical remand.
\nThe prosecutor noted that during the two-day physical remand that was granted to the police, they had to conduct Fawad\u2019s photogrammetric test, but it could not be done.
\nSeeking physical remand of the PTI leader, he said that one mobile phone of Fawad was with the authorities, however, they needed more of his electronic devices.
\nIn his arguments, the election commission\u2019s lawyer said that Fawad\u2019s photogrammetric test was necessary and that he should be sent on physical remand.<\/p>\n
\u201cTime wasn\u2019t wasted during the physical remand [granted earlier],\u201d he argued.<\/p>\n
After hearing all the arguments, the court reserved the verdict.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD A judicial magistrate in Islamabad has sent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry on a two-day physical remand in a sedition case. Judicial Magistrate Waqas Ahmed Raja announced the verdict after \u2014 earlier in the day \u2014 a district and sessions court accepted the Islamabad Police\u2019s petition overturning a decision that sent […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":310425,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-310421","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n