'Aglee Dafa Marathon Mai...': Ex-Pak Minister Fawad Chaudhry’s Courtroom Dash Goes Viral

Former Pakistan minister Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday made a sprint of his life to evade re-arrest by dashing into the building of a high court, a video of which went viral on the internet.

In the video making rounds on Twitter, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader can be seen catching his breath after a brief run from police seeking to arrest him.

Chaudhry, a key aide of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, had been detained under the Maintenance of Public Order regulation in the wake of violent protests following Imran Khan’s arrest last week.

The PTI leader had filed a petition for acquittal in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

A Pakistani justice hearing Fawad’s plea ordered his release after he submitted an undertaking that he would not partake in or incite any violent protest, prompting a triumphant Chaudhry to saunter out without waiting for the issuance of a written order by the court.

The former minister, dressed in traditional salwar-kameez, made a dramatic escape when he sensed approaching police officials as he entered his white SUV to go home.

In the viral footage, Chaudhry can be seen swiftly exiting the vehicle and rushing toward the court building entrance. He appeared to be hunched over and out of breath, but a helpful lawyer came to his aid.

In the background, someone requested water for him, while another person remarked that he was on the verge of passing out.

Later Chaudhry informed that judge that police tried to arrest him despite the bail given by the court.

The judge in response provided proverbial cold comfort. “You should have waited for the written order considering you are a practitioner (lawyer) yourself,” the judge said.

Eventually, the minister got a major relief when late in the evening the same judge barred authorities from arresting Chaudhry in any case.

Notably, in a few hours, the PTI leader condemned the vandalism at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi and Lahore corps commander’s residence.

“The events were shameful,” he said while speaking to the media outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC), according to Dawn newspaper.

He added that an inquiry should be conducted into the matter and those found involved should be given strict punishment, irrespective of whether they were from the PTI or not.

In another video posted on Twitter, a journalist can be seen telling Fawad that his sprint went viral on the internet.

In response, the PTI leader smiled, while his wife Hiba jokingly suggested that he should consider running a marathon next time (aglee dafa marathon mai)."

(With PTI inputs)