Imran’s nephew remanded in police custody for five days

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore handed over Shershah, nephew of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and son of his sister Aleema Khan, to police on Saturday on a five-day physical remand in a case linked to May 9 incidents.

Shershah was arrested on Friday in connection with the Jinnah House attack case — the same case in which his brother Shahrez is also facing charges. He was presented before the court under strict police security.

The arrest came only a day after Shahrez was taken into custody in the same case related to the May 9 violence.

During Saturday’s hearing, presided over by ATC Judge Manzar Ali Gill, the investigating officer informed the court that Shershah was present at the site of the Jinnah House attack along with his cousin, Hassan Niazi, who is also a nephew of the jailed PTI founder. He contended that the suspect was seen inciting people to commit arson and vandalism and added that video evidence was available to support the claim.

The prosecution also played footage of the attack in the courtroom. The investigating officer sought a 30-day physical remand of Shershah, saying that the suspect’s photogrammetric and polygraphic tests were required for further investigation.

Appearing on behalf of Shershah, senior lawyer Salman Akram Raja argued against the remand request. He said that courts had discharged suspects in similar cases after their arrests were made with a delay of 27 months. Raja urged the court not to grant physical remand and to discharge Shershah from the case. He further warned that if this practice continued, “the entire city will be taken into custody”.

After hearing both sides, the ATC reserved its decision on police’s request and later announced a five-day physical remand of Shershah.

Speaking to the media outside the court, Aleema Khan said both of her sons were currently in custody. She claimed their only crime was being related to the PTI founder.

“I have been told that now they will arrest me too. As many punishments as they want to give, we are ready to face them,” she remarked. However, Aleema also maintained that those who had set fire to any building should indeed be punished.

Meanwhile, PTI founder Imran Khan’s nephews, Shershah and Shahrez, were arrested over their alleged involvement in May 9, 2023, riots, as the police claimed to have video evidence against the former showing his presence at the Jinnah House on that day, a first information report (FIR) stated.

The FIR stated that Shershah was accused of carrying out attacks on policemen during the riots, adding that the police possessed a video record as evidence of his presence at the scene.

The prosecution, in its request to the court for Shershah’s 30-day remand, also stated that the suspect was formally arrested on Friday, who along with the PTI leaders, incited workers to vandalism at the Jinnah House.

Regarding Shahrez, it emerged that his name appeared in a supplementary investigation report in September 2023, sources added.

In the FIR, it was stated that he was formally arrested on August 21, 2025, on the basis of collected evidence and later presented in court on August 22.

The investigation officer also made a written request to the court for Shahrez’s 30-day physical custody for the probe.

It is noteworthy to mention here that Lahore’s anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) approved a five-day remand for Shershah and an eight-day remand for Shahrez to the police.

Earlier Saturday, the prosecution also played footage of the attack in the courtroom.

Sources told Geo News that ex-PM Khan’s nephews were primarily arrested for their alleged involvement in the Jinnah House attack.

“Shershah was present with Hassan Niazi at the time of the Jinnah House attack and had earlier been booked in connection with the case. He was facing accusations of arson, vandalism, and torching a police van, as well as running an anti-state digital campaign for months.”

He allegedly went into hiding after the violence and later fled to London, where he remained for nearly two years, the sources added. Police arrested Shershah a day ago following his return to the country.