ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted bail to former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry in a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) case concerning land in Jhelum.
The court presided over by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, ordered the release of the former information ministerFawad was represented in court by his counsel and is incarcerated in Adiala jail on judicial remand
The Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) in Rawalpindi booked the former federal information minister, his cousin and frontman and others in a case pertaining to allegedly taking millions of rupees in bribes and misuse of authority for grant of a no-objection certificate (NOC) and public land acquisition for the establishment of a private housing society in Dina area of GT Road.
Fawad, once regarded as one of the hawks in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), announced his departure from the former ruling party on May 24, just weeks after authorities initiated a heavy-handed crackdown against mostly PTI leaders, workers, and sympathisers who had allegedly committed acts of vandalism following the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan on May 9.
The former federal minister, who initially expressed his plan to take a break from politics during his May 24 news conference, was soon spotted in meetings of disgruntled PTI leaders who later announced the formation of a new party, the IPP.
Meanwhile, the IHC allowed a meeting between incarcerated former premier Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi over Eidul Fitr. The court heard a plea by the former first lady pertaining to her transfer to Adiala jail and meeting her husband in prison over Eid.
The court directed that the two should be allowed to meet over the occasion and additionally allowed a meeting per week between the two. Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb observed that the government holds the right to declare any private property as sub-jail.
The state counsel informed the court that, according to its directive, the director of law conducted an inspection of Bani Gala sub-jail and subsequently submitted a report.The court instructed the counsel to furnish a copy of the report to the petitioner, stating that the visiting officer of Bani Gala sub-jail had expressed satisfaction with the facilities provided.
