An Islamabad District and Sessions Court on Thursday rejected a police request to extend the physical remand of Hassan Niazi, nephew of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, and sent him to jail on 14-day judicial remand.
Niazi was arrested by police on Monday over allegedly misbehaving with police after he had secured bail in a separate case related to clashes between PTI workers and Islamabad police during Khan’s court appearance in the Toshakhana case. The trial court subsequently granted police two-day physical remand for investigations, which concluded on Thursday.
During the proceedings, the investigating officer sought another five-day physical remand of the accused, saying a co-accused had been identified but weapons and vehicle involved in the incident had to be recovered from Niazi. However, Niazi’s counsel opposed the police request, saying 72 hours had already passed with the police failing to recover any weapon.
“According to the investigating officer, the co-accused has been identified. If the weapons and vehicle are not in possession then why should Hassan Niazi be kept in custody?” he questioned, adding that Niazi is a professional lawyer and had been granted bail in three other cases on the day of his arrest. “PTI leaders are being prosecuted only on political grounds and he [Niazi] will be tortured in police custody,” he alleged, without offering any evidence, as is routine for the PTI.
After hearing all arguments, the duty magistrate rejected the prosecution’s request for additional physical remand of Niazi and ordered him to be jailed on judicial remand till April 6.