PTI leader Hammad Azhar arrested from Multan in May 9 cases | The Express Tribune

LAHORE:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former National Assembly member Hammad Azhar has been arrested in Multan and handed over to Lahore police for further proceedings, police sources told The Express Tribune on Sunday.

According to police sources, Azhar was involved in several cases related to the May 9 events and had been declared a proclaimed offender since May 9, 2023.

The police sources claimed Azhar was detained near the RA Bazaar area and was taken into custody from the home of a close friend. The PTI leader was wanted in the May 9 case involving an attack on the Government Officers’ Residence (GOR) Gate, they said.

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) had declared Azhar a proclaimed offender over his non-appearance, while the court had also issued his permanent arrest warrants, according to police sources.

The sources said Azhar had been handed over to the investigation wing. He was also a nominated accused in more than 50 cases related to the May 9 events, police sources said.

Read: May 9: 47 PTI leaders, workers get 10 years

PTI condemned the arrest, calling it an example of political victimisation, state repression and what it described as “fascist tactics”.

In a statement, the party alleged that Azhar had been repeatedly targeted in politically motivated cases and accused the government of using state power to suppress political opponents and silence PTI.

The party said that if there were any cases against Azhar, he should be produced before a court and dealt with according to law.

“Arresting political workers and leaders without justification and creating an atmosphere of fear and harassment is contrary to the spirit of democracy and the Constitution,” PTI said.

The party said arrests, cases and state repression could not eliminate PTI founder Imran Khan or the party’s political ideology, adding that such measures were strengthening public resolve.

PTI demanded that Azhar be produced before a court immediately, that his legal and fundamental rights be protected and that what it called political victimisation be brought to an end.

Azhar has approached the Lahore and Peshawar high courts seeking protective bail, according to the sources. After the registration of the cases, Azhar had resigned from his party position. PTI had assigned him the responsibility of president of the party’s Punjab chapter.

On May 9, 2023, almost a year after the ouster of his government, former prime minister Imran Khan was arrested from the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in connection with a corruption case.

Following the arrest, thousands of people staged violent protests across the country, with mobs attacking and setting fire to government properties and installations of the Pakistan Armed Forces.