LHC Seeks Police Report on Family Access to PTI Leader Hammad Azhar

The Lahore High Court has issued a notice to police on a petition seeking permission for family members to meet Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Hammad Azhar while he remains in custody. A two-member bench headed by Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi directed the station house officer of Sarwar Road Police Station in Lahore Cantonment to submit a report by September 28.

The petition was moved by Azhar's mother after earlier efforts to secure access to him through the trial court and police authorities. The high court had reserved its decision on the matter before issuing the latest notice, placing the question of family access and the police response formally before the bench. The court has not yet issued a final ruling granting or denying the requested meeting.

Azhar has been in police custody following his arrest in Multan earlier in September and subsequent transfer to Lahore for proceedings connected with cases arising from the May 9, 2023 unrest. An anti-terrorism court later granted investigators physical remand in a case linked to the attack on Jinnah House in Lahore. Police have maintained that Azhar was wanted in multiple cases related to the May 9 incidents and had previously been declared a proclaimed offender by trial courts.

The dispute over access developed after Azhar's mother and wife sought permission to meet him and requested that his lawyers also be allowed to communicate with him during the remand period. Their applications argued that a person in custody should be able to consult legal counsel and maintain reasonable contact with family members. The petitioners also raised concerns about his treatment and well-being while under police control.

An anti-terrorism court had previously directed the family to approach the Sarwar Road police station for permission under the relevant police rules. Court records reported in subsequent proceedings showed that the family maintained that an application submitted to police had not produced the access they were seeking. That disagreement prompted a fresh approach to the Lahore High Court for direct judicial intervention.

The case comes amid continuing legal proceedings involving Azhar over the May 9 violence, when protests following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan led to attacks and damage at a number of civilian and military locations. Azhar has faced cases connected with those events, while his legal team and relatives have continued to pursue remedies concerning his custody and access to counsel. The allegations against him remain subject to judicial proceedings, and the latest high court notice concerns visitation rather than a determination of the underlying criminal cases.

The immediate next step is the police report sought by the Lahore High Court. The Sarwar Road SHO is expected to explain the authorities' position on the request for a meeting when the matter returns to court by September 28. The bench can then consider the police response, the petitioners' arguments and the applicable custody rules before deciding whether further directions on family or legal access are required.