A Lahore court has given police 12 more days of physical remand, meaning custody under police control, for PTI leader Hammad Azhar. The ruling came in the Lahore ATC Hammad Azhar case, which concerns the May 9 riots. The anti-terrorism court announced its decision on a Thursday, after hearing both sides argue over whether the suspect should stay in police custody or be sent to jail.
Police case and the polygraph request
Sarwar Road police booked several PTI leaders and workers over alleged vandalism at Jinnah House during protests against Imran Khan's arrest. The investigating officer told the court that police wanted to give Hammad a polygraph, or lie-detector, test. He also said Hammad had taken a leading part in the assault.
Arguments in court
Defence lawyer Sikandar Zulqarnain opposed the extension and asked for Hammad to be sent to jail on judicial remand. He said the investigating officer had changed position: police earlier said a baton and other items were recovered, but the officer later said they had not yet been found. The lawyer also noted that the FIR, the initial police report, does not place Hammad at the scene, and asked why the probe remained unfinished after 37 days in custody.
The prosecution argued that the FIR never said Hammad was absent, and that the complainant may simply have failed to see him because he was standing further away.
Hammad addressed the court himself. He said anti-terrorism laws were being misused for political victimisation and urged the judge to protect the court's dignity. He said he was in Bhakkar on May 9, 2023, that he had not been questioned for a single day during remand, and asked for the full record, including an earlier forensic report. The accounts of the recovered items conflict, and the sources do not say which version is correct.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- May 9, 2023: The protests linked to the case took place. Hammad says he was in Bhakkar that day.
- Earlier hearing (exact date not given): Police said a baton and other items had been recovered.
- Latest hearing: The investigating officer said those items had not yet been recovered, and the defence said Hammad had spent 37 days on physical remand.
- Thursday (exact date not stated): The court extended physical remand by 12 days.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Lahore ki anti-terrorism court ne PTI leader Hammad Azhar ka physical remand 12 din ke liye barha diya hai. Yeh case May 9 ke hangamon se judda hai, aur police ka kehna hai ke woh Hammad ka polygraph test karna chahti hai. Defence ka mauqif hai ke police ke bayanat badal gaye aur saboot abhi tak nahi mile. Aam logon ke liye iska matlab hai ke case abhi chal raha hai aur faisla hona abhi baqi hai.
