Sedition case filed in Karachi against Imran's nephew

KARACHI:

A resident of the Lasbela area of Karachi has filed an FIR against Hassaan Niazi, the nephew of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, for 'inciting' people against the former and current army chiefs.

The Jamshed Quarter police have registered a case against Niazi under sections 121, 124-A, 153-A and  505/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

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Section 121 refers to waging or attempting to wage war against Pakistan; 124-A a colonial-era sedition law suggests upto three-year imprisonment for whoever incites people against federal or provincial government; 153-A entails imprisonment for up to five years for promoting hatred among various sections of the society; 505 carries a maximum punishment of seven years jail term for promoting racial or religious hatred, and section 34 is for abetment and common intention.

Police said that the head moharar of the Jamshed Quarter police station received an application addressed to the Jamshed Quarter SHO.

The applicant,  Mohammad Iqbal, a resident of Muhammadi Colony, Lasbela, stated on March 26, he was at home using social media on his mobile phone when he saw a person giving an interview on various social media platforms including WhatsApp and TikTok saying that if Imran Khan is arrested, neither Haji, nor Hafiz will be spared and there will be a civil war in the country.

The name of the said person was known to be Hassaan Niazi son of Hafeezullah Niazi, who was inciting the people with the help of his other associates and was threatening the former and present heads of the national defence institution by using code words.

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"With this action of the said person, the national defence institutions and their people were insulted," the applicant said and stated that Hassaan tried to mislead the citizens of the country, creating fear and anxiety.

He requested the police to take legal action against the accused and his associates. The police registered a case on the said application and handed it over to the FIR branch for investigation.

It may be noted that Niazi was handed over 

to the Punjab Police on transit remand on orders of a court in Quetta on Sunday.

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.

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.

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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.

Petition seeks recovery of PTI media head

An application has been submitted at the Sindh High Court (SHC) seeking the recovery of PTI's media head Muhammad Arshad Siddiqui.
The petition has been filed by Siddiqui's brother Muhammad Ahsan contending that he had left his residence on 26 March in the morning and has been missing since then.

Ahsan also claimed that despite the family having reported Siddiqui's disappearance on the police's helpline, the authorities were "not cooperating" and that the family feared for his life.