Court defers Fawad Chaudhry’s indictment in sedition case

• Court deferred the indictment  Fawad Chaudhry in sedition case.
• Court ordered Fawad Chaudhry to appear on October 3.
• Fawad has submitted unconditional apology to the ECP.

ISLAMABAD: A district and sessions court on Wednesday deferred the indictment of former information minister Fawad Chaudhry in the sedition case.

Additional Sessions Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra resumed hearing to frame charges against the former PTI leader for allegedly inciting government employees.

His lawyer Qamar Inayat informed the court that Fawad Chaudhry could not appear before the court as he was in Lahore to visit his ailing mother. The lawyer sought an exemption for his client’s appearance.

The judge accepted the exemption plea and ordered Fawad Chaudhry to appear before the court for the next hearing on October 3 for indictment.

Earlier this week, the Islamabad High Court dismissed former information minister Fawad Chaudhry’s petition to nullify the contempt case against him by the Election Commission of Pakistan.

IHC Chief Justice Justice Aamir Farooq dismissed Fawad’s plea while announcing the reserved decision. The former minister had challenged ECP’s action against him.

Fawad had issued a verbal apology to the ECP in July when a four-member commission headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja was presiding over the contempt proceedings.

During the hearing, Fawad Chaudhry extended his apology to the ECP and pleaded to withdraw the show cause notice issued against him. The former PTI leader said whatever he spread the narrative of the party as its spokesperson. Fawad said he respects the institutions including ECP.

Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja asked Chaudhry will he kill anyone on the orders of the party chief. He further said his party raised allegations against him and the ECP in public gatherings. The former federal minister was asked to submit an apology in writing to the ECP.

Last year in August, the ECP had issued notices to Chaudhry, and others for allegedly using intemperate language against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja and the electoral body.

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