Pakistan: Imran Khan's nephew Hassan Niazi arrested

Aug 14, 2023

Islamabad [Pakistan], August 14 : Days after Pakistan's Joint Investigation Team summoned Imran Khan's sisters, his nephew Hassan Niazi has been arrested in Abbottabad city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday night, reported Daily Pakistan. 
According to the sources, Hassan Niazi, a lawyer, was picked up from his friend's house after several days of hiding from getting arrested. He moved there a couple of days ago. 
The arrest was followed by the crackdown on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) over May 9 violence that involved attacks on private and public installations including Lahore's Corps Commander's House, known as Jinnah House. 
Niazi is also a human rights activist and his father Hafeezullah Niazi, who is a prominent media personality, said he "hopes no law would be violated."
Moreover, last month, the court initiated the process to declare Imran Khan's two sisters and Hassan Niazi proclaimed offenders accusing them of being related to the attack on the Jinnah House, reported Daily Pakistan. 
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan's sisters, Aleema Khan and Uzma Khan, recorded statements before the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) entrusted with investigating the May 9 assaults on civil and military sites, Geo News reported. 
The riots erupted across the country on May 9 following the arrest of the PTI head in the 190 million pound Al-Qadir Trust case, resulting in the deaths of at least eight people and injuries to several others, forcing police to arrest thousands of PTI workers.
During the protests, the miscreants attacked the civil and military installations including, Corps Commander's House (Jinnah House) in Lahore Cantt and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, Geo News reported.
Over 100 vehicles of police and other security agencies were set on fire in the riots, according to Daily Pakistan. 
Meanwhile, the law enforcement agencies have so far arrested over 10,000 PTI workers across Pakistan and 4,000 of them are from Punjab province only. 
However, Imran Khan said that over 16 PTI workers were killed in the violence but the police mentioned the death toll to 10. 
The military called May 9 "Black Day" and decided to try the protesters under the Army Act.
Moreover, Khan is currently facing over 150 cases related to terrorism, murder and blasphemy.
Recently, the PTI Chairman was arrested from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore soon after being convicted in the Toshakhana case. The court also imposed a fine of Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 100,000 on Imran Khan, Geo News reported.
Khan, who has expressed his disappointment over being in jail and said that he doesn't want to stay there, Pakistan-based Geo News reported. While speaking to his lawyers in the Attock jail, Imran Khan said, "Take me out of here; I don't want to remain in jail," according to the officials. The PTI Chairman Imran Khan also stated that he remains holed up inside his prison cell in "distressing" conditions, as per the sources.