Lahore anti-terror court refuses police request, places PTI leader Hammad Azhar under judicial custody

On Tuesday, Lahore’s anti-terrorism court turned down a police request to prolong the physical remand of PTI figure Hammad Azhar in the Jinnah House attack case. Police sought an additional 12-day detention to conduct a polygraph examination, but defense counsel Barrister Abuzar Salman Niazi argued that consent is required and that a Lahore High Court judgment mandates the test be ordered during judicial remand. Azhar, arrested on September 5 and already subject to multiple extensions of a 21-day physical remand, told the court he would refuse the test if permitted.

Judge Sardar Muhammad Akram Khan dismissed the request and ordered Azhar to remain in jail under judicial custody, effectively ending about 50 days of physical detention. The ruling was praised by Azhar’s lawyer on social media. Azhar previously served as finance, industry and energy minister and re-appeared publicly in May 2024 after hiding following the May 2023 riots.