LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore handed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Hammad Azhar over to police on a 20-day physical remand.
Police presented the former federal minister before the court hours after confirming his arrest, while his mother approached the Lahore High Court (LHC) seeking his recovery a day after police reportedly detained him in Multan. A spokesperson for Lahore police said earlier that Azhar had been wanted by Lahore police in 18 cases, while he had remained absconding for three years.
The spokesperson said that the investigation police arrested the PTI leader and would produce him before a court to seek his remand. A charge sheet would be presented before the Anti-Terrorism Court after completing the investigation, the spokesperson added. The mother of PTI leader earlier approached the LHC seeking Azhar’s recovery.
The petition named Punjab Inspector General of Police, Lahore Capital City Police Officer and others as respondents, seeking orders to disclose Azhar’s arrest and produce him before court.
According to the petition, the former federal minister was taken into custody from Multan two days ago but was not presented before a court. The petitioner requested the court to order authorities to formally show Azhar’s arrest, provide records of cases registered against him, and produce him before the court.
Azhar was reportedly handed over to Lahore police following his arrest in Multan, with police sources saying that the PTI leader — declared a proclaimed offender — was involved in multiple cases registered in connection with the May 9, 2023 riots.
Police sources confirmed earlier that Azhar had been taken into custody but his arrest could not yet be formally recorded. Azhar, who served as the federal minister during the PTI’s tenure at the Centre, resigned from the post of the party’s Punjab chapter president in August 2024.
At the time, he cited the “lack of access” to jailed PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan and restrictions on his movements as the reasons behind his decision. He had remained in hiding after being named in several cases stemming from the May 9 riots.
Thousands of supporters of the jailed party founder stormed public property and military installations, including the Corps Commander House in Lahore, on May 9, 2023, in protest against the former premier’s arrest.
The riots erupted after the PTI founder was taken into custody from the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in a graft case. Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram criticised court’s decision of 21-day physical remand.
In a statement issued by PTI Central Media Department, he claimed Hammad has committed no crime other than standing firm for the Constitution and the rights of the people. He termed the physical remand and the demand for photogrammetric and social media forensic tests as tactics designed to prolong persecution.
Meanwhile, PTI spokesman lashed out at the Sindh government for detaining over 150 party workers before the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister arrived in Karachi. He said that all of them were released late last night and this morning, however, some workers were subjected to brutal police torture.
Waqas slammed what he called the blatant hypocrisy of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, pointing out the stark contrast between his public rhetoric of welcoming political engagement and the ruthless use of state police machinery to crush peaceful PTI workers across Sindh.
“Bilawal Bhutto must wake up to the bitter reality that Sindh belongs to Imran Khan and the people, while all his political cronies are mere remnants of the past who have been completely rejected,” he vowed.
The spokesperson demanded the restoration of all fundamental, legal, and constitutional rights for PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan, including his right to regular family meetings, alongside the immediate and unconditional release of all unjustly detained political prisoners including Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi.
