Hassaan Niazi taken to Quetta on transit remand

ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad district and sessions court on Friday handed over Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s focal person on legal affairs and nephew, Hassaan Niazi, to Quetta police on a one-day transit remand.

Judicial Magistrate Murid Abbas handed over Niazi to the Quetta Police on their request for a transit remand so that Niazi could be taken to Quetta and presented before the judicial magistrate of Quetta, the Islamabad court said while approving the remand.

Magistrate Abbas instructed the Quetta police to ensure that Niazi will be produced by the investigating officer (IO) in the relevant court in Quetta on March 25.

The Quetta police then took Niazi from Islamabad to Balochistan’s capital city for the hearing of a case registered against Niazi at the Airport Police Station, Quetta on March 18 under the provisions of incitement.

Yesterday, the judge rejected the Punjab Police’s request for a five-day extension in Niazi’s physical remand and had, instead, directed the police to take him to jail on judicial remand.

Niazi was arrested on Monday outside an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad on charges of “misbehaving with the police”.

According to the details of the case against Niazi that have come to light, Khan’s focal person was not named in the Quetta case, and was arrested among unknown suspects.

A case was registered on March 18 on the complaint of the Airport Quetta Police Station Sub-Inspector. According to the sub-inspector, when he was on patrol on said date, he was informed that 150 people had blocked the Quetta-Chaman Road.

Subsequently, a case was registered in Quetta against the protestors under the provisions of incitement, official interference, and other provisions. As per the first information report (FIR), PTI leader Inayatullah Kakar and others were creating provocations and raising slogans to protest against the PTI chief’s arrest.

The FIR also alleged that the protestors were inciting people and using foul language. The complainant reported in the FIR, that he had tried to reason with the protestors, but they blocked the road for an hour.

It is pertinent to mention here that last week the Punjab Police in Lahore raided Khan’s residence to arrest him under the orders of an Islamabad court in the Toshakhana case. This resulted in a stand-off that lasted several days between the police and PTI supporters who had gathered outside Khan’s residence.

On March 18, Khan finally appeared before the court where Additional Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal cancelled his non-bailable arrest warrants after an hours-long drama at the Federal Judicial Complex.

The judge adjourned the hearing till March 30 and told the parties in the case that arguments will take place during the next hearing and also ordered Khan to ensure his presence.