Pakistan court grants bail to Fawad Chaudhry in sedition case

Islamabad: A Pakistani court on Wednesday granted bail to former information minister and senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry in a sedition case and ordered his release.

Chaudhry, 52, a close aide of former prime minister Imran Khan, was arrested from his residence in Lahore last week in a pre-dawn raid after a case was registered against him at Islamabad's Kohsar Police Station on the complaint of the Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan for "threatening" the electoral body's members and their families.

A judicial magistrate on Monday sent him to jail on a 14-day judicial remand by rejecting a police request for custody to probe him in the case.

On Wednesday, additional sessions court Judge Faizan Gilani granted bail to Chaudhry in the sedition case against a surety bond of Rs20,000.

The judge said that he accepted the bail on the condition that Chaudhry would not repeat his allegation that led to his arrest and the case. "I am granting the bail on the condition that Fawad Chaudhry does not repeat such remarks," he remarked.

Chaudhry is facing sedition charges for publicly “threatening” the members of the election commission.

The detained PTI spokesperson has been vocal in highlighting the party policy and objectives as enunciated by the party chief Imran Khan.

The PTI, which rejected his arrest as politically motivated, had been demanding his release.