LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader and former federal minister Hammad Azhar was arrested in Multan on Sunday in connection with cases arising from the May 9, 2023 violence, according to police sources, although senior police officials initially said they had no confirmation of his detention.
Sources said Azhar was detained near RA Bazaar and subsequently handed over to Lahore police for further proceedings. He is wanted in several cases registered following the May 9 unrest and had been declared a proclaimed offender by an anti-terrorism court over his failure to appear.
The Express Tribune reported that Azhar was wanted in a case concerning an alleged attack on the Government Officers’ Residence Gate and that an anti-terrorism court had issued permanent arrest warrants against him.
PTI condemned the reported arrest as an act of “political vengeance” and demanded that Azhar be immediately produced before a court and granted his legal and constitutional rights.
However, Multan Regional Police Officer Usman Akram Gondal told Dawn that he had no information about the arrest, while Lahore Investigation SSP Muhammad Naveed similarly said he could not confirm that Azhar had been detained or handed over to Lahore police.
Azhar went into hiding during the crackdown that followed the May 9 protests triggered by the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan. He later made occasional public appearances while continuing to face multiple criminal cases.