LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader and former federal minister Hammad Azhar has been taken into custody by police from near the RA Bazaar area of Lahore.
According to police sources, Hammad Azhar was detained from the house of a close friend, after which he was handed over to the investigation wing.
Police sources said Hammad Azhar was wanted in the May 9 GOR Gate attack case. An anti-terrorism court in Lahore had declared him a proclaimed offender for non-appearance, while the court had also issued perpetual warrants for his arrest.
According to sources, Hammad Azhar is also a nominated suspect in more than 50 cases relating to the events of May 9.
Hammad Azhar had approached the Lahore and Peshawar High Courts for protective bail in various cases.
After the registration of the cases, Hammad Azhar had resigned from his party position. Prior to that, Tehreek-e-Insaf had assigned him the responsibility of the Punjab presidency.
The arrest places Hammad Azhar within one of the largest and most consequential sets of criminal prosecutions in Punjab’s recent history. The events of May 9, 2023, which followed the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan, saw attacks on state and military installations in several cities, including in Lahore. Hundreds of cases were registered across Punjab in their aftermath, with a substantial number filed at Lahore police stations.
The GOR — Government Officers Residences — is a secured administrative enclave in central Lahore housing senior provincial officials, and the case relating to its gate is among the Lahore-specific prosecutions arising from that day.
The prosecutions have proceeded under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, which vests jurisdiction in the anti-terrorism courts and carries substantially enhanced procedural consequences compared with ordinary criminal trials, including on bail.
The declaration of a proclaimed offender is issued under Section 87 of the Code of Criminal Procedure where an accused fails to appear despite the issuance of warrants. The status carries practical consequences beyond the case itself: it constrains the accused’s ability to seek relief before courts and can affect eligibility for public office.
Perpetual, or non-bailable standing, warrants of arrest remain in force until executed or recalled by the issuing court.
Hammad Azhar served in federal office during the PTI government, holding portfolios that included revenue, industries and production, finance for a brief period, and energy. He was subsequently given charge of the party’s Punjab organisation before resigning that position following the registration of cases against him.
His arrest continues a pattern in which senior PTI figures in Punjab have faced protracted proceedings arising from May 9, with several having spent extended periods either in custody or out of public view.
The party’s formal reaction to the arrest was awaited at the time of filing. The Lahore Times sought comment from PTI’s Punjab spokesperson; no response had been received. Hammad Azhar has been handed to the investigation wing, and he is expected to be produced before the relevant court.
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