Pakistan: Fawad Chaudhary, brother get protective bail in 'Azadi March' riot case

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf leader and former information minister Fawad Chaudhry and his brother, Faraz Ahmed were granted protective bail on Saturday by Islamabad High Court, in a case registered against them for allegedly provoking people against the Shehbaz Sharif government during a rally.

The bail was granted to the brothers against a surety of Rs5,000 each and the petition was disposed of thereafter, Dawn reported.

The case against Chaudhry and Ahmed was registered at Mangla police station in Jhelum along with 150 to 200 others.

Chaudhry and Ahmed had filed a petition for their protective bail in the IHC on May 25, where Chief Justice Athar Minallah took up their plea today despite it being an off day.

Allowing Chaudhry and Ahmed bail, the court said "Without touching merits of the case and considering the intention to surrender before the court of competent jurisdiction, the petitioners are admitted to protective bail."

"The petitioners will be at liberty to deposit cash surety in the light of the policy of this court," the court order read.

According to Dawn, the FIR was registered under Sections 353 (assault or use criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty), 186 (obstructing a public servant in discharge of public functions), 188 (disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of Rs50), 148 (rioting while armed with a deadly weapon) and 149 (every member of an unlawful assembly guilty of an offence committed in prosecution of a common object) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The FIR was registered on the grounds the during the PTI's Azadi March rally was against the law and the PTI supporters became violent and started pelting policemen with stones, the report added further, stating that Chaudhry, Ahmed and 150 to 200 unidentified suspects were booked in the case on the complaint of SHO Mangla Cantt Sajid Mehmood.

"The rally participants were also equipped with weapons and gave life threats," the FIR said.

The city turned into a battleground on Wednesday after the ousted Prime Minister held a long protest march on May 25 against the present government, demanding the dissolution of the National Assembly and to conduct the next general election.

The march was followed by multiple scuffles between the police and PTI marchers after Imran Khan and his convoy entered the city and started marching towards the D-Chowk despite the Supreme Court's order to hold a rally at a ground between the H9 and G9 areas of Islamabad.

( With inputs from ANI )

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