Faisal Raza Abidi gets one-day protective bail in contempt case

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court on Monday granted one-day protective bail to ex-Pakistan People’s Party’s Senator Faisal Raza Abidi in a case pertaining to use of defamatory language against Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar.

The court had ordered arrest warrants for the former PPP leader, however police couldn’t locate his whereabouts despite several raids.

Abidi with his counsel approached the IHC today seeking bail in the case. However, the court also ordered him to appear before the trail court in Islamabad.

On Sep 21, the capital police had registered a case against former senator Faisal Raza Abidi for using derogatory and defamatory language against the chief justice.

The case was registered at the Secretariat police station under PPC’s sections 228, 500, 505(ii) and 34 read with the ATA 1997 on a complaint lodged by Supreme Court Public Relations Officer Shahid Hussain Kambyo.

According to the FIR, in a video, which vent viral on social media, the accused used highly abusive, contemptuous, and threatening language against state institutions.

The former senator has been accused of leveling accusations against individuals holding the highest constitutional posts.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court had directed the police to ensure that former senator Faisal Raza Abidi appears in the court in a contempt of court case.

A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar, gave this direction after Abidi’s failure to appear in court despite summons.