Hammad Azhar gets 20-day remand in Jinnah House case

An anti-terrorism court in Lahore has granted police a 20-day physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Hammad Azhar in the Jinnah House attack case linked to the May 9, 2023 violence.

Azhar was arrested in Multan on Sunday and later transferred to Lahore police. Authorities said he was taken into custody near RA Bazaar after being detained at the residence of a close friend. He faces several cases related to the May 9 protests.

The prosecution requested physical remand for further investigation and the recovery of Azhar’s mobile phone. His lawyer opposed the request, arguing that he had been implicated in a fabricated case and should not be placed in police custody.

The court proceedings were held under tight security. Judge Sardar Muhammad Akram Khan announced the reserved decision after hearing arguments from both sides.

At the start of the hearing, the judge asked journalists and other unrelated people to leave the courtroom. He said media representatives would be allowed back once the relevant proceedings began.

Meanwhile, Azhar’s mother, Ishrat Azhar, has approached the Lahore High Court seeking her son’s recovery and production before the court.

In her petition, she alleged that Azhar had been taken into custody in Multan but had not been presented before a court. She asked the high court to direct authorities to disclose the legal grounds for his arrest and detention.

The petition also sought immediate access to legal counsel and communication with his family. It requested that authorities place the relevant FIR, arrest memo, remand order and any detention order before the court.

Azhar’s mother also asked the court to declare any detention carried out without lawful authority unconstitutional and illegal.

The cases against Azhar relate to the violence that erupted after the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan on May 9, 2023. Protesters attacked several government buildings and military installations during the unrest.

Police have accused Azhar in multiple cases linked to the violence. He was also declared a proclaimed offender in a case concerning an alleged attack on the Government Officers’ Residence gate in Lahore.

Authorities have said Azhar was wanted in more than 50 cases related to the May 9 incidents. An anti-terrorism court had earlier declared him a proclaimed offender over his continued absence from proceedings.

Azhar later approached the Lahore and Peshawar high courts for protective bail. He had also stepped down from his party position after the cases were registered against him.