Fawad Chaudhry managed to evade arrest and left in his own car near midnight after spending nearly the entire day in court.

The day-long drama of Fawad getting free then dashing back into court to avoid re-arrest and then staying all day in court ended with him speaking to the press near midnight and driving away.

“Those involved in the events of May 9 should be punished even if they are part of the PTI,” Fawad told the media. He also condmened the attacks on military installations and referred to them as ‘shameful’.

He also said that he belonged to Jhelum, a city that had traditionally contributed martyrs to the army, and that there was no existence of Pakistan without the army.

Fawad dashes into court

The videos of PTI’s Fawad Chaudhry stumbling over greenbelts and ducking to avoid the police as he dashed back into court in Islamabad were perhaps the strangest of all the visuals that have emerged over the last week.

The PTI leader was trying to evade the police who went after him in hot pursuit as they tried to re-arrest him on Tuesday. The attempt worked, as Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb granted him protective bail for two days later in the day.

Footage showed the former information minister in a white shalwar kameez running back through the main gate as lawyers helped him on.

The turn of events took place just moments after the Islamabad High Court released him. Fawad Chaudhry was arrested last week under Section 3 (power to arrest and detain suspected persons) of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance. But the court declared that it had been unlawful to arrest him.

As soon as Fawad Chaudhry left the court and headed to his vehicle, however, the Islamabad police came towards him.

“They try to arrest again,” Hiba Chaudhry, his wife, said in a tweet.

Aaj News correspondent Asif Naveed in Islamabad said that so far it was not clear in which case the police were tried to re-arrest him.

Another video showed Fawad Chaudhry falling from the stairs after entering the court. Aaj News reporter Asif Naveed said that since the court has barred the authorities from arresting people from its premises they could not re-arrest him.

Multiple cases were registered against Fawad after violent protests on May 9 that were triggered by the arrest of PTI chief Imran Khan.

Initially, it was reported that the Punjab police were trying to arrest him in a case related to Lahore’s anti-terrorism court. Earlier in the day, the ATC rejected bail for six PTI leaders, including Fawad Chaudhry, after they failed to appear in cases pertaining to the death of Lahore PTI worker Zille Shah (who died in a road accident) and vandalism on or after May 9.

The Aaj News correspondent explained that bail from one court does not give relief in other cases.

Fawad’s lawyers have urged all members of the Insaf Lawyers Forum to arrive at the IHC to avert the police’s attempt to arrest the PTI leader. Fawad and his wife were waiting for the written order, which would determine the scope of the bail order.

“Despite the release of Fawad Chaudhry, the police tried to arrest him again,” Farukh Habib wrote in a tweet. “Fawad Chaudhry was also granted protective bail and cannot be arrested in any case, but despite the court’s order, they are violating the decision.”

“This high court passes an order and grants protective bail and like a terrorist he is being picked up,” Hiba, Fawad’s wife, said. “There is a limit.”

She urged the CJP to take notice. “When the high court has given bail then under what circumstances are you are picking him up like a terrorist?”

Court hearing

Islamabad High Court’s judge Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb heard the case. Fawad’s lawyers Babar Awan and Faisal Chaudhry appeared while Jahangir Jadoon represented the government.

Justice Aurangzeb remarked that May 9 was not an auspicious day and the apprehensions in this regard were “proven right”.

He asked Fawad’s lawyers to give an affidavit after the release of the petitioner that he would not violate Section 144 (ban on gatherings). The court also sought assurance from lawyers that their clients would not violate the law.

The court made it clear that if the submitted affidavit was violated, then contempt of court proceedings would be initiated.

Justice Aurangzeb said that the court was giving time to the district magistrate and the IG to look into the matter and ordered that Fawad should be present in the courtroom during this time. After such instructions, there was a break in the hearing.

After the hearing resumed, Advocate General for Islamabad Jahangir Jadoon told the court that there was a video of Fawad dated May 9 in which he was allegedly inciting the workers. Jadoon also quoted the PTI leader’s May 10 in which he wrote: “It is the duty of supporters to participate in the protest”.

Fawad’s lawyer Babar Awan said that the high court’s chief justice had barred the authorities from arresting his client. “When the order was given, law officers and the media were present in the courtroom, but this explicit order was not followed.”

To this, the court inquired whether the police had been shown any document to prevent the arrest of Fawad. In reply, Awan claimed that when the order was read out to the officer who came to arrest his client, the police officer said: “I don’t know English”.

Awan requested that the court extend the order to stop the arrest of his client and give them time to approach the court concerned.

After hearing the arguments of the parties, the court reserved the verdict which was later pronounced.