LAHORE – PTI leader Hassaan Khan Niazi, a nephew of party chairman Imran Khan, has been handed over to the military for trial over his involvement in vandalism at the Jinnah House in Lahore during May 9 violence triggered following the arrest of the former prime minister.
It was told to the Lahore High Court (LHC) during the hearing on a petition filed by his father Hafeezullah Niazi.
The Punjab government lawyer submitted a report to the high court, stating that Hassan Nizai, who was recently arrested from Abottabad, had been handed over to the military for trial. He said the PTI leader is a prime suspect in a case related to attack at the Jinnah House.
Later, the court directed the Punjab government’s lawyer to ask the relevant authorities if a meeting between the father and son could be arranged.
The court gave the state prosecutor time to let Niazi’s father meet his son and adjourned the hearing till 2pm later today.
The nephew of former prime minister Imran Khan has been arrested in Abbotabad city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa late on Sunday night (August 13).
Hassan Niazi, who is a lawyer by profession, was picked up from his friend’s place after days of hiding in order to avoid arrest. He had moved there a couple of days ago.
Last month, a court had initiated the process to declare Imran Khan’s two sisters and Hassan Niazi proclaimed offenders in a case related to the attack on the historic Jinnah House.
A day earlier, a military official sent a letter to the police, requesting it to hand over Hassan Niazi to him for the military trial.
The letter stated that Niazi, who “was involved in commission of offences in the incident of May 9, 2023 at Jinnah House, Lahore Cantonment, is in police custody”.
It had been “revealed to military authorities through initial investigation” that Niazi had been “found involved in commission of offences attracting the provisions of Official Secrets Act 1923 read with section 2(1)(d) (persons subject to the Act) and 59(4) (civil offences) of the Pakistan Army Act 1952, which are offences/charges triable in the domain of ‘court martial’ under the Pakistan Army Act 1952,” the letter read.
It said therefore, the “suspect […] is liable to be inquired, investigated and tried by military authorities by court martial”.
It then proceeded to request the Sarwar Road police that the “custody of the accused be delivered to military authorities in accordance with Section 549(3) (delivery to military authorities of persons liable to be tried by court martial) of the [Code of Criminal Procedure] for inquiry, investigation to the extent of charges under the provisions of Official Secrets Act 1923, and subsequent trial by the court martial under the Pakistan Army Act 1952”.
Imran Khan’s nephew Hassan Niazi handed over to Lahore Police on transitory remand
