ISLAMABAD
\nAn accountability court in Islamabad on Saturday approved former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry\u2019s six-day physical remand in a case related to misappropriation in construction projects in Jhelum.
\nAccountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir conducted the hearing of the case today. Fawad was brought to the court after the completion of his 10-day physical remand.
\nThe court remarked that the investigation of the case should be completed while Fawad should also be allowed to meet his lawyers. The former minister will be presented before the court on January 5, 2024.
\nFawad was taken into custody earlier this month by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in connection with the corruption case.
\nNAB Chairman Lt-Gen (retd) Nazir Ahmed Butt had signed an arrest warrant for appreheding the politician after which he was taken into custody from Adiala jail \u2014 where he was incarcerated in a separate fraud case.
\nThe former minister\u2019s lawyer and brother, Faisal Chaudhry, and NAB Prosecutor Sohail Arif were also present in the courtroom.
\nToday\u2019s hearing
\nFawad, while presenting his arguments, told the court that four allegations were levelled against him.
\n\u201cI was accused of using my influence while being a minister. The project was of the PSDP (Public Sector Development Programmes) and its approval was given,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cIt was my duty to convey the demands of my area\u2019s residents to the government. If I don\u2019t work for the people of my constituency then what\u2019s the point of being in politics,\u201d he added.
\n\u201cThe project was approved by the federal and provincial governments,\u201d he said.
\nThe former minister said that the NAB did not have the jurisdiction to start an inquiry against him. \u201cIt appeared as if the NAB prosecution could not find a chance for investigation yet,\u201d he said.
\nFawad told the court that there was no contractor as the project was under Frontier Works Organisation (FWO).
\nHe said he received his first notice when he was in Adiala jail while pleading to the court to discharge him from the case.
\nPresenting his arguments, the NAB prosecutor said that they had asked for a 14-day physical remand but were given only 10 days.
\n\u201cBanking records, indicating suspicions of irregularities, have been sought. The contractor has also been summoned on January 2,\u201d he added.
\nArif said that the NAB wants to further investigate Fawad while requesting a 10-day extension in the former information minister\u2019s physical remand.
\n\u201cFawad Chaudhry\u2019s 10-day physical remand should be given to complete the investigation,\u201d said the NAB prosecutor, adding that they have also summoned two more people in connection with the construction projects.
\nArif added that the contractor had transferred eight out of 16 kanals to the politico. \u201cFawad should get work done in his areas but legally. NAB will take notice if there is misappropriation,\u201d he argued.
\nLater, Advocate Faisal said that the prosecution should present the banking transaction before the court if there is any.
\nHe argued that Fawad was arrested so that he could not contest the upcoming general elections on February 8, 2024, while opposing Fawad\u2019s physical remand.
\nPolitician faces multiple cases
\nThe politician was initially arrested from his Islamabad residence on November 4 after a complaint was filed against him in Islamabad\u2019s Aabpara Police Station for taking a Rs5 million bribe in exchange for a job.
\nIn January, too, Fawad was taken into custody from his residence after he publicly \u201cthreatened\u201d the members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in a media talk outside former PTI chief Imran Khan\u2019s residence in Zaman Park. However, the then-coalition government said it had no hand in the politician\u2019s arrest.
\nThe politician, in June this year, issued an apology to the electoral watchdog for allegedly using \u201cintemperate\u201d language targeting the ECP and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja.
\nFawad was also among the thousands of party workers and leaders who were arrested during the crackdown on the PTI since May 9 for the party\u2019s alleged involvement in the riots that claimed at least eight lives and injured dozens of others.
\nIn June, the former minister was among the PTI leaders who were present during the launching ceremony of the Istihkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), which is headed by Khan\u2019s close political aide Jahangir Tareen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD An accountability court in Islamabad on Saturday approved former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry\u2019s six-day physical remand in a case related to misappropriation in construction projects in Jhelum. Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir conducted the hearing of the case today. Fawad was brought to the court after the completion of his 10-day physical remand. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-377737","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n