The former prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi, was arrested on Sunday over violations of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (MPO), a police official told Dawn.com.
Niazi in 2022 tendered his resignation from his office to defuse the move by his parliamentary party, the PTI, to replace him with regional president Sardar Tanveer Ilyas through a vote of no-confidence.
The MPO law in Pakistan allows authorities to detain individuals without trial for up to 90 days to prevent threats to public peace and safety.
Mirpur Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Dr Liaqat Ali told Dawn.com that Niazi was arrested under Section 16 (dissemination of rumours) of the MPO.
“Under the orders of the Mirpur deputy commissioner, he was arrested under Section 16 of the MPO,” the DIG said.
“He is being held at the industrial area guest house in Mirpur, which has been declared a sub-jail,” he said.
The Mirpur DIG added that plainclothes policemen from Islamabad came to detain the ex-PM under a first information report (FIR) — seen by Dawn.com — filed at the Karachi Company police station in the federal capital, but “we did not allow them to take him into custody”.
The FIR against Niazi in Islamabad was filed under the following sections:
- 109 (punishment of abetment if the act abetted is committed in consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment),
- 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object)
- 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions)
- 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant)
- 341 (punishment for wrongful restrain)
- 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty)
- 395 (punishment for dacoity)
- 440 (mischief committed after preparation made causing death or hurt)
- 506 ii (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code
He was also booked under Sections 7 (punishment for terrorism) and 11X (responsibility for creating civil commotion) of the Anti-Terrorism Act and Section 8 (punishment) of the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act.
DIG Dr Ali added that Niazi left Mirpur last night and headed to Bhimber to attend rallies.
Niazi’s nephew, Sardar Moteeb, said that the former PM was arrested when he was heading to Bhimber city from Samahni to attend a PTI rally related to the campaign demanding the release of party founder Imran Khan from prison.
“He was arrested under Section 16 of the MPO,” Moteeb said. “A team of plainclothes personnel had arrived from Islamabad to take his possessions, but local officials refused to hand them over to them and sent them back.”
Moteeb added that Niazi obtained bail from the Islamabad High Court on July 13, which was further extended on July 26 until August 17.
Niazi’s press secretary, who was accompanying him at the time of the arrest, told Dawn.com that the former PM was arrested on the way to a rally and alleged that police “snatched” his mobile phone.
“Apart from Niazi, two other PTI office bearers from Kotli district, Malik Nisar and Dr Shahnawaz, were also taken into custody,” he added.
