Former federal minister Chaudhary Fawad Hussain was arrested on Saturday from his residence in Islamabad, his family members including wife and brother confirmed through social media.
According to his wife, Hiba Fawad, her husband was apprehended by plainclothes men and police officers. The reason for his arrest remains unclear, as neither the family nor legal representatives were informed about the charges against him.
His brother Chaudhary Faisal also confirmed the development and posted on X formerly twitter that his brother was taken into custody by people in uniform and plainclothes from the breakfast table at his residence in Islamabad.
Sources said Fawad Chaudhary was arrested based on a First Information Report (FIR) filed at the Aabpara Police Station on August 20. The case reportedly involves charges related to organizing a rally for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and blocking roads.
Faisal Chaudhary, Fawad Chaudhry’s brother and lawyer, swiftly filed a petition before a magistrate, urging the court to secure his brother’s release.
The petition emphasized that Fawad Chaudhry was not wanted in any case and called for his immediate release from what was termed “illegal imprisonment.”
The court responded by ordering the recovery and release of Fawad Chaudhry, demanding a detailed report from the Islamabad police regarding the circumstances of his arrest.
Chaudhary’s arrest followed detention of PTI leader Asad Qaiser in a graft case, intensifying the political turmoil in the country.
Chaudhry had distanced himself from the PTI shortly after the party faced a nationwide crackdown, triggered by the May 9 riots following the arrest of PTI chairman Imran Khan.
His legal battles escalated a week before his departure from PTI when an attempt was made to detain him. He had previously secured relief from the Islamabad High Court but returned to the courtroom, seeking comprehensive protection against the cases filed against him. Later, in June, he joined the IPP, a party comprising PTI defectors.
In July, a Lahore anti-terrorism court granted Chaudhry interim pre-arrest bail in two terror cases related to the May 9 riots. However, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued non-bailable arrest warrants for both Chaudhry and Imran Khan in a case concerning contempt of the electoral body and the chief election commissioner.
Subsequently, Chaudhry posted bail bonds worth Rs100,000 in each case before an ATC, addressing charges related to the attack on the PML-N party office during the May 9 protests in Model Town.
The political landscape remains charged, with Chaudhry’s arrest raising further questions about the motivations behind these legal actions. However, the insiders told this scribed that Fawad Chaudhary was not active politically in IPP as he supposed to be and that was the major reason behind interest.
This claim is not verified by any official source but many suggested the same so far.
