A day earlier, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) claimed that its leader Hammad Azhar had been arrested. However, police officials in Multan and Lahore said they had no information confirming his arrest. Party sources, meanwhile, maintained that Azhar had been taken into custody in a case related to the May 9, 2023 riots.
The petition filed on Monday was submitted by Azhar’s mother, Ishrat Azhar, through Barrister Abuzar Salman Niazi. It named the Punjab inspector general of police (IGP), Lahore capital city police officer (CCPO), deputy inspector general (operations), and the Station House Officer (SHO) of RA Bazaar Police Station in South Cantt as respondents.
According to the petition, Azhar was arrested two days ago, but his family had not been informed of his whereabouts. It raised concerns over his safety and argued that no individual could be subjected to unlawful detention.
The petition urged the Lahore High Court (LHC) to order the respondents to produce Azhar before the court or another competent court and provide details of the legal grounds for his arrest and detention.
It also sought immediate access to legal counsel and reasonable communication with his family in accordance with the law. The petition further requested the court to declare any detention carried out in violation of the Constitution and law as unlawful and without legal authority.
Azhar, the son of former Punjab governor Mian Muhammad Azhar, is wanted by Lahore police in connection with a case involving an attack on the gate of Government Officers’ Residences (GOR-I) on May 9, 2023.
He has been declared a proclaimed offender by several anti-terrorism courts for failing to appear in proceedings related to cases stemming from the May 9 riots.
Reports of Azhar’s arrest circulated widely on social media over the weekend, with conflicting accounts emerging regarding the timing and location of his alleged detention.
Some reports on Sunday claimed that the PTI leader had been handed over to Lahore police. However, Lahore Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Investigations Muhammad Naveed said he had no confirmation of Azhar’s arrest or any such handover.
The PTI on Sunday described Azhar’s alleged arrest as an example of “political vengeance and fascism”, accusing the government of using state power to target political opponents and suppress the party.
Azhar had resurfaced publicly on May 22, 2024, after spending nearly a year in hiding following a state crackdown on PTI leadership in the aftermath of the May 9 violence. He had earlier evaded arrest when the Counter-Terrorism Department raided the party’s secretariat in Islamabad.
In April 2025, Azhar stepped down as president of the PTI’s Punjab chapter for the third time. His two earlier resignations had been rejected.
