ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad court on Friday handed over the custody of Hassaan Khan Niazi to Balochistan Police in connection with a case registered with the Quetta police.

Mr Niazi, the nephew of PTI Chairman Imran Khan, was arrested earlier this week on charges of intimidating and obstructing police officers from discharging their duties.

The Quetta police have registered an FIR against Mr Niazi under sections 109 (abetment), 147 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 153 (inciting to riot) and 347 (wrongful restraint) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

On Friday, a sub-inspector from Quetta’s Airport police station filed an application before judicial magistrate Muhammad Mureed Abbas Khan seeking transitory remand of Mr Niazi to produce him before a judge in Quetta.

The court noted that Quetta police have completed legal formalities of the Balochistan home department and the Islamabad sessions judge (West) and subsequently granted Mr Niazi’s transitory remand for a day.

The court directed the investigation officer to keep the accused in safe custody and produce him before the magistrate on March 25.

A day earlier the judge, Mr Khan, rejected the request of the capital’s Ramna Police to extend Mr Niazi’s physical remand in another case registered against him on March 20.

The case in Ramna police station was registered on the complaint of Assistant Sub-Inspector Khuban Shah under sections 34 (common intention), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 324 (attempted murder), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 427 (mischief causing damage amounting to Rs50) and 506(2) (criminal intimidation) of the PPC.

The FIR alleged that the police had tried to stop Mr Niazi’s vehicle but his driver tried to run them over. It claimed that upon being stopped, Mr Niazi stepped out of the vehicle, verbally abused the police and threatened to shoot them.

He was taken into custody after his pre-arrest bail was confirmed in two other cases related to violence on the arrival of the PTI chairman in Islamabad’s Judicial Complex.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2023