Pakistan: Lahore HC orders production Imran’s nephew Hassan Niazi by Aug 18

Aug 17, 2023

Lahore [Pakistan], August 17 : Hassan Khan Niazi, the nephew of PTI leader Imran Khan, was ordered to be brought before the Lahore High Court (LHC) by August 18 in connection with a petition for his release and a probe into the officials' "illegal detention", Dawn reported.
The detainee's father, Hafeezullah Khan Niazi, had filed a petition with the court, arguing that the detention and abduction of his son violated the rules set forth in Section 61 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which requires that the person arrested appear before the relevant magistrate within 24 hours of his arrest. Justice Sultan Tanvir Ahmad was currently hearing this argument.
But in this case, the detainee was not yet been produced before the competent court of law which is a sheer violation of the fundamental rights of the detainee, the Dawn reported
“Neither the Constitution nor any law, allows the police to abduct and detain a citizen merely for the reason that his abduction be used to pressurise some other person. Each person is accountable for his own alleged crimes only”, the petitioner added in the petition.
The petitioner made the inspector general of police (IGP) Punjab, the capital city police officer (CCPO), the station house officer (SHO) Sarwar police station and the state respondents and requested the court to direct the aforementioned to immediately release the Niazi, declare this detention as illegal and direct an inquiry against those officials who are responsible for this illegal abduction and detention, Dawn reported. 
The petitioner told in his petition that on August 13, approximately at 11.30 pm, the Punjab police raided the house at Abbottabad where Barrister Hassan Khan Niazi was "abducted" without any reason and then the police officials took him to an unknown location.
The police neither gave any reason for his abduction nor produce any search or arrest warrants. He submitted that he has information that the Niazi has been kept under the custody of Respondent SHO Sarwar Road, Dawn reported. 
The petitioner submitted that the respondents did not adhere to the due process of law as stipulated in the very concept of a “fair trial” and “due process” guaranteed by Article 10-A of the Constitution. 
Imran Khan's nephew Hassan Niazi was 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."