Fifty days after his legal proceedings began, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Hammad Azhar has been sent to jail on a 14-day judicial remand by an anti-terrorism court in Lahore. According to Geo News, the detained politician was produced before the court on Tuesday after completing his latest physical remand.
Geo News reported that the anti-terrorism court had previously extended the PTI leader's physical remand by 12 days on October 15. Azhar was handed over to Lahore police following his arrest in Multan, with police sources cited by Geo News stating that he was declared a proclaimed offender involved in multiple cases registered in connection with the May 9, 2023 riots.
Background
According to Geo News, Azhar previously served as a federal minister during the PTI's tenure at the Centre and later resigned from his post as the party's Punjab chapter president in August 2024. At the time of his resignation, he cited a lack of access to the jailed PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan, along with restrictions on his movements, as the reasons for his decision. He had remained in hiding after being named in several cases stemming from the May 9 riots.
The May 9, 2023 riots erupted after the PTI founder was taken into custody from the premises of the Islamabad High Court in a graft case. Geo News noted that thousands of supporters of the jailed party founder subsequently stormed public property and military installations, including the Corps Commander House in Lahore, in protest against the former premier's arrest.
Why it matters
For ordinary readers in Pakistan, legal developments surrounding high-profile political figures continue to draw public attention as courts handle cases stemming from the civil unrest of May 2023. The ongoing judicial proceedings reflect the legal steps being taken within the anti-terrorism court system regarding those accused of involvement in the attacks on public property and military installations.