Fawad Chaudhry 'arrested' from residence in Islamabad

• Politician arrested under FIR registered at Aabpara Police Station.
• "We have not been told why Fawad is being arrested," Hiba says.
• Petition filed requesting court to order police to produce Fawad.

ISLAMABAD: Former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry was Saturday "arrested" from his residence in Islamabad and "taken to an unknown place".

The development was confirmed by his wife Hiba Fawad Chaudhary, who said her husband was arrested by police and men in plainclothes.

"We have not been told why Fawad is being arrested," Hiba said, speaking with Geo News.

Chaudhry's wife also took to X, formerly Twitter, about her husband's arrest.

"Fawad Arrested and taken to an unknown place," she wrote in her post.

According to police sources, the politician was arrested under a first information report (FIR) registered at the Aabpara Police Station.

The case, the sources said, was registered on August 20, in which Fawad was booked for organising a PTI rally and blocking roads.

Meanwhile, the politician’s brother and lawyer, Faisal Chaudhary, filed a petition before the magistrate requesting for the police to produce Fawad before the court.

“Fawad Chaudhary should be released from illegal imprisonment,” the petition read, adding that the former minister is not wanted in any case.

It added that the court ordered the recovery and release of Fawad.

The court conducted a hearing on the plea during which Judicial Magistrate Ahmed Shahzad Gondal sought a report from the Islamabad police on the politician’s arrest.

It remains unclear why Fawad was arrested today, as he has been booked in several cases both before and after the May 9 riots which were triggered by the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan earlier this year in a graft case.

In January, too, Fawad was arrested from his residence after he publicly "threatened" the members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in a media talk outside Imran Khan's residence in Zaman Park. However, the then-coalition government said it had no hand in the politician's arrest. 

The politician, in June this year, issued an apology to the electoral watchdog for allegedly using “intemperate” language targeting the ECP and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja.

Fawad was also among the thousands of party workers and leaders who were arrested during the crackdown on the PTI since May 9 for the party’s alleged involvement in the riots that claimed at least 8 lives and injured dozens of others.

Since being released from prison, following his rearrest on May 10 outside the apex court, the politician kept a low profile and did not make any political statements.

In June, the former minister was among the PTI leaders who were present during the launching ceremony of the Istihkam-e-Pakistan Party, which is headed by Khan's close political aide Jahangir Tareen.