Lahore court extends ex-minister Hammad Azhar’s remand by seven days — Dawn

An anti-terrorism court in Lahore, Pakistan, extended by seven days the physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former federal finance minister Hammad Azhar for investigative proceedings. As Dawn reports, the decision was made in the case concerning the 2023 attack on Jinnah House.

Police petition

Police brought Azhar before the court after the completion of his 21-day physical remand for investigative proceedings. The state prosecutor requested an extension, stating that the suspect’s mobile phone and SIM card needed to be recovered, describing them as important evidence.

Azhar asked in court why law enforcement agencies were seeking another extension. He said that he had already spent 21 days in custody in a case concerning an event at which, according to him, he was not present. The politician also complained that he had not been able to meet with his lawyers or family members.

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Jinnah House case

Sarwar Road police registered cases against several PTI leaders and supporters on charges of attacking and damaging Jinnah House. The building is also the residence of the corps commander. According to police, the incident occurred during protests on May 9, 2023, following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan.

According to the politician’s family, Azhar was detained on September 5. The following day, police said they had no information about his detention, after which the politician’s mother approached the Lahore High Court. On September 7, he was brought before the anti-terrorism court.

Earlier, several anti-terrorism courts declared Azhar wanted over his failure to appear in proceedings related to the May 9 unrest.