The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday rejected former senator Faisal Raza Abidi's petition to dismiss terror charges against him.
While hearing the plea, Justice Moshin Akhtar Kayani remarked that the judiciary and chief justice were being openly threatened. "The attitude of threatening the judiciary is wrong," he observed.
When asked whether his client was guilty of contempt, Abidi's lawyer denied the charge. "My client only used harsh words, he did not commit contempt of court," the lawyer said.
Abidi was arrested by the secretariat police on Wednesday after he appeared before the Supreme Court's two-judge bench for a contempt case against him.
During the hearing, the former senator requested the court to adjourn the case till his lawyer returned from Umrah pilgrimage or grant him time to hire a new counsel.
Approving Abidi's request, the bench adjourned the hearing till October 30 and issued a notice to the attorney general in this regard.
However, following his appearance when Abidi left the Supreme Court and was crossing Constitution Avenue to return to his residence, he was arrested by secretariat police.
Police sources said another case was registered on Tuesday night against Abidi which includes charges of defamation. He has been arrested in the case registered by ASI Shaukat Abbasi, sources added.
Earlier on September 21, a case was registered against the former senator for using inappropriate words for the chief justice of Pakistan. The complaint was registered by the apex court's Public Relations Officer Shahid Hussain Kamboyo in the Secretariat Police Station under Pakistan Penal Code's sections 228, 500, 505(ii) and 34 along with Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).
On September 28, the Sindh government issued approval to the Islamabad police to arrest Abidi.
Abidi served as the Karachi division president of the Pakistan Peoples Party but later stepped down from the post.
There are three cases ongoing against the former senator which pertain to cyber-crime, contempt and another registered in the secretariat police station.
