Imran’s nephew handed over to Punjab police on transit remand

Lawyer says 'harsh tactics are being used against PTI workers'

QUETTA:

A local court in Quetta on Sunday handed over Hassaan Khan Niazi, the nephew of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, to the Punjab Police on transit remand.

After the court passed the order, the Punjab Police took the PTI chief’s nephew and reportedly left for Lahore.

The Punjab home department had written a letter to the Balochistan home department for the extradition of Niazi. Imran's nephew was then produced before the judicial magistrate.

Talking to the media, Niazi's lawyer Iqbal Shah told the media that the party chairman's nephew was granted bail a day earlier, stating “under what law has he been sent to jail?”

Read Court summons Imran on March 30 in Toshakhana case

“We had submitted surety bonds and kept waiting at the jail gate, but Niazi was not released,” he added.

The lawyer furthered that the jail administration was “reluctant to take protective bail order yesterday”.

Shah also stated that when the police had no justification to detain his client, the DC issued a detention notification under Section 3 of Maintenance of Public Order (MPO).

The lawyer maintained that the Punjab Police team has been sitting outside the court since morning, adding that “harsh tactics are being used against PTI workers”.

It is pertinent to note that a local court in Quetta had granted bail to Niazi a day earlier. Quetta police produced him before the local court where he was granted bail against a surety bond of Rs100,000.

On March 20, the nephew and focal person of the deposed prime minister was taken into custody by police outside the Judicial Complex in Islamabad.

Read More Imran, others booked on terrorism charges

Niazi's arrest was related to clashes between PTI workers and Islamabad police during Imran Khan's court appearance in the Toshakhana case.

He was reportedly present at the scene when the former prime minister arrived at the Judicial Complex.

Four days later, Quetta police took custody of Niazi and left for Balochistan after a judicial magistrate in Islamabad approved a one-day transit remand of the PTI leader.