Hammad Azhar's wife, mother approach Lahore ATC seeking permission to meet him

Petitioners invoke Article 10 of the Constitution, which guarantees safeguards relating to arrest and detention

LAHORE:

The wife and mother of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Hamad Azhar have approached the Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) seeking permission to meet and have access to him, stating that police were not allowing his close family members to meet him while he remained on physical remand in a May 9 case.

Azhar was arrested in Multan on Sunday and handed over to Lahore police for further proceedings. He was detained near the RA Bazaar area after being taken into custody from the home of a close friend. On Monday, an anti-terrorism court in Lahore sent Azhar on 20-day physical remand. He was wanted in several cases related to the May 9, 2023 protests and had been declared a proclaimed offender in a case involving an attack on the Government Officers’ Residence (GOR) Gate.

Azhar's wife and mother submitted that they had approached the Punjab Police seeking access to Azhar, but their request was turned down. They maintained that denying his mother and wife access to him violated their fundamental rights.

The petitioners invoked Article 10 of the Constitution, which guarantees safeguards relating to arrest and detention, and requested the court to direct the police to allow Azhar's mother and wife to meet him.

Read: Lahore ATC grants 20-day remand of PTI leader Hammad Azhar in Jinnah House attack case

Earlier this week, Azhar's mother approached the Lahore High Court (LHC) for the recovery and production of her son, alleging that he had been taken into custody from Multan two days earlier but had not been produced before any court.

The petition sought Azhar’s immediate production before a court, disclosure of the legal basis for his arrest and detention, and access to legal counsel and his family. It also asked authorities to provide the FIR, arrest and remand records, and declare any detention without legal authority unlawful. On Tuesday, the LHC disposed of the petition after the court was informed that Azhar had been produced before the ATC.

Azhar arrested over May 9 protests

The cases against Azhar stem from the events of May 9, 2023, when PTI founder Imran Khan was arrested at the Islamabad High Court in a corruption case. His arrest triggered widespread protests across Pakistan, during which demonstrators attacked and set fire to government buildings and military installations.

Azhar was subsequently named in a number of cases related to the violence. Police sources said he had been declared a proclaimed offender in one of the cases after failing to appear before the court, which later issued permanent arrest warrants against him.

He was wanted in connection with a case involving an attack on the gate of the Government Officers’ Residence (GOR) in Lahore, while police said he was also a nominated accused in more than 50 cases linked to the 9 May violence.

An anti-terrorism court had declared Azhar a proclaimed offender over his continued absence from proceedings. He later approached the Lahore and Peshawar high courts seeking protective bail.

Following the registration of the cases, Azhar resigned from his party position. PTI had previously assigned him responsibility for leading the party’s Punjab chapter.

The PTI has consistently rejected the cases against its leaders and workers as politically motivated, accusing the government of using state institutions to suppress the party and its political opponents.