No relief in sight for Fawad in fraud case

Court extends ex-minister’s remand till Feb 28

ISLAMABAD:

A district and sessions court in Islamabad on Wednesday postponed hearing the post-arrest bail plea of former minister Fawad Chaudhry in a road construction scam case and extended his judicial remand till February 28.

Fawad was accused of committing irregularity in Pind Dadan Khan to Jhelum Road project.

Judge Shah Rukh Arjamand, who heard the post-arrest bail plea as Judge Muhammad Bashir is on leave, adjourned the hearing till February 19.

Fawad’s lawyer Faisal Chaudhry pleaded that that court had two cases of bail and remand. His client Fawad is a Supreme Court’s lawyer and has been in jail for the past two months. The court should issue an order whether it wanted to hear the petition or not, the lawyer said.

Judge Shah Rukh remarked that whether Judge Muhammad Bashir's leave was approved on medical grounds or not, he would tell later, but he [the judge] would hear arguments on bail on Feb 19. The judge further argued that four other courts were also at his disposal.

The lawyer said that it didn’t matter whether they [the judge] had four courts or six, the court should hear his client’s plea. Fawad Chaudhry said that as general elections were over, what was stopping the court to retain him in jail.

To which, the judge remarked that the question should be asked by those who had kept Fawad in jail. He further remarked that he had signed the order sheet but couldn’t write observations.

Fawad Chaudhary said the court had signed the order sheet without the accused, a practice that is a routine in [Pakistan].

The court later adjourned hearing of the case till Feb 19 and extended Fawad’s judicial remand as of Feb 28.

Court reserves verdict

A district and sessions court in Islamabad reserved its verdict pertaining to the production of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder, Imran Khan in the case against his alleged intimidation of a female judge.

Civil judge Mureed Abbas heard the case in Islamabad in which Khalid Yousuf Chaudhary, the counsel for Khan, maintained that his client is currently in detention by the state.

Judge Mureed Abbas said to the council that he had first filed a petition which stated that Khan had security concerns due to which he cannot be presented.

The lawyer argued that the concern about security persisted before the arrest, as there were serious risks then.

The court remarked that the court may decide on the earlier petition and summon the PTI founder. The lawyer said that it is the state’s responsibility to present him now. The court reserved its order on the production request of founder PTI.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th 2024.