LAHORE: A district court on Thursday handed over MPA Nazir Chohan to Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on a two-day physical remand.
The FIA presented MPA Nazir Chohan before the court of Judicial Magistrate Yousuf Abdul Rehman. The district approved the lawmaker’s physical remand on the request of the federal agency. The court has instructed the FIA to present the lawmaker before the court again on July 31.
Chohan was arrested by FIA in a separate case yesterday after being granted bail in an earlier case. The case was registered in the FIA Cyber Crime Unit on the complaint of Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) Shahzad Akbar.
Akbar had stated that MPA Nazir Chohan allegedly targeted his religious belief and a speech to spread hatred against him. Javed Butt and Waseem Raja, who are said to be journalists on social media, were also named in the case.
Nazir Chohan was arrested by police on Tuesday in a first information report (FIR) registered on the complaint from Mirza Shahzad Akbar at Lahore’s Race Course police. Later, a session court in Lahore had granted bail him bail on the same day.
Police had produced the PTI leader before a judicial magistrate. The court has ordered Chohan to submit bail bonds worth Rs100,000, and if he fails to submit them, he will be sent to jail for 14 days.
Chohan was arrested from the Lahore Development Authority Complex. The authorities had tracked him down through his mobile location, and apprehended him as he came out of the building.
Chohan, who has voiced support for PTI member Jahangir Tareen amid concerns that he is being politically victimised by state institutions, was said by Akbar to have levelled allegations that are “unfounded, false and vexatious” and which will “put his life in danger”.
Akbar’s complaint followed a statement allegedly made by Chohan on television, a clip of which had gone viral on social media. The second FIR, posing similar allegations was lodged earlier this month.
