Lahore: Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) leader and former federal minister Hammad Azhar has been formally arrested by Lahore Police in connection with multiple cases linked to the May 9, 2023 riots. The arrest was officially confirmed on Monday, shortly after his mother, Ishrat Azhar, filed a habeas corpus petition in the Lahore High Court demanding that authorities reveal her son's location and present him before a competent judge.
The development followed days of speculation after reports surfaced over the weekend that Azhar had been taken into custody in Multan. His mother, represented by Barrister Abuzar Salman Niazi, named top law enforcement officials in her petition including the Punjab Inspector General of Police and the Lahore Capital City Police Officer. She stated that her son had been held in illegal detention for two days without access to legal counsel, family communication, or formal charges being presented in court.
Shortly after the high court petition was lodged, a spokesperson for Lahore Police confirmed that Azhar was formally in their custody. Police stated that he had been absconding from the law for three years and was wanted in at least 18 cases in Lahore alone, including an alleged attack on the Government Officers’ Residences (GOR I) gate during the May 9 unrest. Officials confirmed plans to present him before an AntiTerrorism Court to seek physical remand.
The legal action against Azhar stems from nationwide violence on May 9, 2023, which erupted following the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan from the Islamabad High Court. Demonstrators attacked public property and military installations across the country, leading to a massive government crackdown on party leadership. Azhar went into hiding shortly after to avoid arrest, remaining largely out of the public eye while being declared a proclaimed offender by multiple anti terrorism courts.
The arrest comes after a prolonged period of political restriction for the former minister. In August 2024, Azhar stepped down as president of PTI's Punjab chapter, citing severe limits on his movements and an inability to meet with jailed party leader Imran Khan. The PTI has strongly condemned the arrest, describing it as political victimisation and demanding that Azhar's constitutional and legal rights be fully protected.
