The Judicial Magistrate’s Court in Quetta on Sunday handed over Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s nephew Barrister Hasan Khan Niazi to the Punjab Police on a seven-day interim remand.
The Punjab Police had reached Quetta to detain Hasan Niazi in the case of attempted murder at Race Course police station in Lahore.
Niazi was arrested by the Quetta Police under Section 3 of the MPO (Maintenance of Public Order) hours after he was granted bail on Saturday night.
He was arrested for assaulting policemen and creating chaos near the judicial complex in Islamabad’s G11.
During the hearing in the judicial magistrate’s court in Quetta today, the PTI leader was summoned to the judge’s chamber and later handed over to the custody of the Punjab Police, who remanded him to appear in the court in Lahore. Remand was sought.
The Punjab Home Department had requested the Balochistan government through a letter for Niazi’s custody after his arrest last night.
The letter said that a case of attempted murder had been registered against Niazi at Race Course police station in Lahore. On this, the Balochistan government issued orders to hand over Niazi to the Punjab Police.
The Balochistan Home Department directed the police to fulfill all legal requirements and make fool-proof security arrangements for the PTI leader’s transfer.
Don’t know why I was locked up: Niazi
Talking to mediapersons in Kachhari district, Niazi said that Punjab is his home and it does not matter where the police take him.
“I don’t understand why I was locked up under three MPOs after the order of release,” he said, adding that this too will pass.
Congratulating the PTI chief for holding a “successful” public rally at Minar Pakistan a day ago, Niazi said the people who participated in the rally once again showed that Imran Khan is the most popular leader.
On March 18, the Quetta Airport Police Station registered a case against Niazi on the complaint of Inspector Abdullah for inciting violence and interfering in police affairs.
The complaint said that during the patrol, the sub-inspector was informed that 150 people, including Inayatullah Kakar and others, had blocked Chaman Road in Quetta. Protesters blocked the road for an hour despite police efforts to disperse them.
It should be noted that Niazi’s name was not mentioned in the FIR by Quetta Police.
Niazi’s arrest is part of an ongoing crackdown on PTI activists who police claim attacked law enforcement officials while they were on duty in Islamabad.
