Lahore, September 6, 2026: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former National Assembly member Hammad Azhar has been arrested in Multan, police sources said on Sunday.
According to the sources, Azhar was taken into custody in Multan and subsequently handed over to Lahore police for further proceedings.
The PTI leader is facing multiple cases registered in connection with the May 9, 2023 riots and had been declared a proclaimed offender since May 9, 2023, the sources said.
Azhar, who served as federal finance minister during the PTI government, resigned as president of the party’s Punjab chapter in August 2024.
At the time, he cited his “lack of access” to jailed PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan, along with restrictions on his movements, as reasons for his resignation.
Azhar had gone into hiding after being booked in several cases related to the May 9 riots.
The unrest erupted after Imran Khan was arrested from the premises of the Islamabad High Court in connection with a graft case.
Thousands of PTI supporters subsequently attacked public and military installations, including the Corps Commander House in Lahore, in protest against Khan’s arrest.
During the violence, protesters also targeted other civil and military installations, including the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.
The May 9 incidents remain the subject of multiple criminal cases and legal proceedings against PTI leaders and supporters.
