PTI leader Azhar’s family appeals to Lahore court over alleged denial of access
In Lahore, Pakistan, the mother and wife of detained PTI leader Hammad Azhar have approached an anti-terrorism court with a complaint against the police. They claim that law enforcement officers are not allowing the family and lawyer to meet Azhar.
As Dawn reports, the joint petition was filed through lawyer Abuzar Salman Niazi by the politician’s mother, Ishrat Azhar, and his wife, Mariam Hammad. In the application, they stated that a person in custody has a legal right to access to counsel and family members.
Applicants’ demands
The applicants described the police actions as being contrary to the law. They asked the anti-terrorism court to order the relevant authorities to allow Hammad Azhar to meet with his lawyer and relatives.
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On Monday, the anti-terrorism court remanded Azhar in custody for 21 days in a case concerning an attack on Jinnah House during the May 9 riots. According to the outlet, he was arrested in Multan last week and handed over to Lahore police.
Other proceedings
Lower courts had previously declared Azhar wanted in several cases related to the May 9 attacks. In January, prosecutors in one of these cases said that he had repeatedly failed to appear before the court despite being given opportunities and had also been in hiding to avoid arrest.
In March, the Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court sentenced Azhar and 46 other PTI leaders to 10 years in prison in the case concerning the May 9 attack on GHQ. The court also imposed a fine of 500,000 Pakistani rupees on each of them and ordered their property to be confiscated in favor of the state.
