PTI leader Hammad Azhar arrested in connection with May 9 cases

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former federal minister Hammad Azhar has been arrested in connection with multiple cases registered over the May 9, 2023 violence, police sources said.

Azhar was arrested in Multan and handed over to Lahore police, according to the sources.

He had been wanted in several cases registered following the May 9 protests and had remained out of public view for an extended period.

The PTI leader went into hiding after the nationwide unrest that erupted following the arrest of party founder and former prime minister Imran Khan on May 9, 2023. He briefly appeared in public in July 2025 following the death of his father but subsequently went underground again.

Police sources said that Azhar had been declared a proclaimed offender in cases related to the May 9 incidents.

His arrest comes as authorities continue proceedings against PTI leaders and workers accused of involvement in attacks on public and military installations during the May 9 unrest.

Azhar has held several senior positions in the PTI government and was a prominent member of Imran Khan’s cabinet.

Who is Hammad Azhar?

Azhar served as federal minister for economic affairs and later as federal minister for industries and production during Imran Khan’s tenure as prime minister.

He first assumed a federal cabinet role as minister for economic affairs.

In April 2020, amid criticism of the PTI government following the release of an inquiry report into the sugar crisis, Azhar was moved to the Ministry of Industries and Production, while the economic affairs portfolio was reassigned.

He presented Pakistan’s federal budgets for fiscal years 2019-20 and 2020-21, becoming one of the younger politicians to deliver the country’s annual budget in parliament.

Azhar also served as PTI Punjab president and later as the party’s acting provincial president. He eventually resigned from the organisational position, citing internal differences and pressure.

A prominent figure in the PTI’s political and economic team, Azhar remained a vocal supporter of Imran Khan following the party’s ouster from government in April 2022.

His prolonged absence from public life followed the May 9 crackdown, when protests erupted in several cities after Khan’s arrest. The violence included attacks on military and government installations, prompting a nationwide crackdown on PTI leaders, workers and supporters.

The PTI has repeatedly described the cases against its leaders and workers as politically motivated, while authorities have maintained that those involved in attacks and vandalism must face the law.