Hassaan Niazi, Imran Khan’s nephew and the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-legal Insaf’s team, was detained on Monday outside an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad, according to police officials.
According to police officials, he was detained at a checkpoint for “misbehaving with police and resisting,” and has since been sent to an undisclosed location.
After Niazi’s presence at the ATC, where cases against PTI leaders and workers had been filed at Islamabad’s Ramna police station, a hearing for those cases was convened.
Shibli Faraz, Omar Ayub, Raja Khurram, Aamir Mehmood Kiani, and Farrukh Habib, senior PTI leaders, all went before ATC judge Raja Jawad Abbas’ court to request bail, which was granted.
For the violence that broke out Saturday outside the courthouse where Khan had appeared in the Toshakhana case, all of the aforementioned leaders as well as members of the party had been arrested on terrorism-related charges.
The PTI employees had fought with the police and harmed public property. In addition, they turned over a police officer’s car and set 10 police motorcycles on fire outside the courthouse.
Hassaan Niazi “abducted”, PTI claims
Despite having been granted bail in every case brought against him, the PTI asserts that Khan’s point of contact for legal matters has been “abducted” by Superintendent of Police Nosherwan Ali Chandio.
The height of police cruelty, to quote. The party stated that Hassaan Niazi, a lawyer whose bail had just been approved by the court, had been kidnapped.
تمام مقدمات میں ضمانت کے باوجود SP نوشیروان نے دہشت گردی عدالت کے باہر سے @HniaziISF کو اغوا کرلیا ہے۔ پولیس گردی کی انتہا ہوگئی ہے حسان نیازی وکیل جس کی ابھی عدالت نے ضمانت منظور کی ہے اسکو اغوا کرلیا ہے
— PTI (@PTIofficial) March 20, 2023
“Attorney @HniaziISF has been unlawfully abducted by SP Nausherwan of the @ICT Police, despite being free on bail. The Insaf Lawyers Forum said that his immediate release was necessary and that they condemned this fascism.
The forum urged the top judge of the nation to pay attention to this “blatant violation of laws.
The tweet stated that Pakistan’s rule of law was suspended.
Barrister @HniaziISF has been abducted illegally by @ICT_Police’s SP Nausherwan despite being on bail.
We condemn this fascism and demand his immediate release.
The Chief Justice must take notice of this blatant violation of laws.
The Rule of Law in Pakistan stands suspended.
— Insaf Lawyers Forum (@InsafLawyersPK) March 20, 2023
Police were stationed on either side of the ATC, according to PTI leader Farrukh Habib, “so that they could arrest” the protesters.
“The police claimed repeatedly, according to the lawyers, that they had special authorization to pick up Hassaan Niazi and Farrukh Habib. He asserted on Twitter that “I avoided the lawyers since they had warned me about their plans, obtained bail, and left the courtroom.
ATCکورٹ اسلام آباد کی دونوں جانب پولیس کھڑی کی گئی تاکہ ہمیں اغوا کرسکے۔وکلا کے بقول پولیس والے بار بار یہ کہہ رہے تھے آج @HniaziISF اور فرخ حبیب کو خصوصی توڑ پر اٹھانے کا حکمنامہ ملا ہے
مجھے وکلا نے انکے عزائم کا بتایا میں وہاں سے ضمانت ملتے ہی ابھی انکو چکمہ دے کر نکل آیا ہوں https://t.co/46IOougpaN pic.twitter.com/0Dnfqb1tFm— Farrukh Habib (@FarrukhHabibISF) March 20, 2023
Fawad Chaudhry, senior vice president of PTI, described Niazi’s detention as “unacceptable” on Twitter.
Fawad tweeted, “Arrest of @HniaziISF is intolerable, he has been arrested from Court premises despite posting bail call upon ILF attorneys and Bar Associations to join in the demonstration.
Arrest of @HniaziISF is unacceptable, he has been arrested from Court premises despite bail call upon ILF lawyers and Bar Associations to join in protest https://t.co/ohfgGXkr3v
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) March 20, 2023
Asad Umar, the party’s secretary general, condemned the development and stated that Niazi’s detention appeared to suspend the Constitution.
Hassaan Niazi was detained despite receiving court-ordered bail. According to his post, the Constitution currently seems to be suspended.
عدالت سے ضمانت ملنے کے بعد حسان نیازی کو گرفتار کر لیا گیا۔ آئن اب معطل ہی نظر آ رہا ہے
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) March 20, 2023