PTI leader Hammad Azhar sent to jail as court rejects further police remand

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Tuesday rejected a police request for further physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Hammad Azhar in a case linked to the May 9, 2023, riots and sent him to jail on judicial remand.

Police had sought an extension of Azhar’s physical remand to conduct a polygraph test, also known as a lie-detector test, as part of the investigation into an alleged attack on Jinnah House, the residence of the Lahore corps commander.

The investigating officer requested further custody after Azhar’s latest remand period expired.

The court, however, rejected the request following arguments from the prosecution and defence.

Azhar’s lawyer, Barrister Abuzar Salman Niazi, argued that a polygraph test required the suspect’s consent and referred to a Lahore High Court ruling on the procedure.

He said the suspect should also be asked before a magistrate whether he agreed to undergo the test.

Azhar told the court he did not wish to undergo the test if the law allowed him to refuse it.

The PTI leader also argued that a suspect should not be penalised for what he described as the prosecution’s lack of awareness of the legal requirements governing the test.

The court subsequently dismissed the police request and ordered Azhar to be sent to jail on judicial remand, ending a period of physical custody that had lasted 50 days.

The case relates to the May 9, 2023, violence that erupted after the arrest of former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan.

Sarwar Road police registered a case against PTI leaders and workers over allegations that they attacked and vandalised Jinnah House during the protests.

Police have alleged that Azhar was among those who led the attack. He has disputed the allegations, previously telling the court that he was in Bhakkar on the day of the incident and denying involvement.

Azhar was arrested in early September after remaining out of public view for more than a year following a crackdown on PTI leaders after the May 2023 unrest.

His family had raised concerns about his whereabouts following his reported arrest, and he was subsequently produced before an anti-terrorism court and handed over to police for investigation.

The court had granted police an initial period of physical remand, which was extended in subsequent hearings as investigators sought to pursue further lines of inquiry, including forensic examinations and the proposed polygraph test.

Azhar, a former federal minister who held portfolios including finance, industries and energy in the PTI government, had gone into hiding after the May 9 violence and reappeared publicly in May 2024.

Three years in hiding

Azhar went into hiding following the May 9 unrest and remained largely out of public view.

He briefly appeared in public in July 2025 following the death of his father, former Punjab governor Mian Muhammad Azhar, but later went underground again.

His prolonged absence from public life made him one of the most prominent PTI leaders wanted in connection with the May 9 cases.

With his formal arrest now recorded, police are expected to produce him before the court to seek physical remand and proceed with the investigation.

Who is Hammad Azhar?

Hammad Azhar is a senior PTI leader who served as a federal minister during Imran Khan’s government.

He initially served as minister for economic affairs before being appointed minister for industries and production in April 2020.

He presented Pakistan’s federal budgets for 2019-20 and 2020-21 in the National Assembly.

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

He remained a prominent supporter of Imran Khan after the PTI government was removed from power in April 2022 and became one of the party’s leading figures facing legal cases following the May 9 violence.

His formal arrest is now expected to be followed by court proceedings over physical remand and further investigation into the 18 cases registered against him.