Hassaan Niazi remanded in police custody for two days
ISLAMABAD, Mar 21 (SABAH): An Islamabad district and sessions court on Tuesday granted police two-day physical remand of former premier Imran Khan’s nephew Hassaan Niazi in a case related to misbehaving with officials.
Shortly after the verdict was announced by Judicial Magistrate Abbas Shah, Hassan Niazi approached another sessions court against the decision, which sought a reply from the police by today (Wednesday).
The court order said that despite the allegations against him, the suspect needed to be investigated in a “thorough and proper manner”.
“In view of the facts and circumstances narrated, two days physical remand of accused is granted subject to pre- and post-medical examination of the accused. The accused be (sic) produced again before the court on March 23,” it added.
Hassaan Niazi’s lawyer told the court that as per the case, Imran Khan’s focal person broke the barrier set up near the ATC and threatened the policeman. He added that the case also states that the lawyer resisted the police during frisking.
Niazi’s counsel shared that his client was granted interim bail by an ATC, adding that the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage showed that the PTI leader was arrested when he was with the lawyers.
“What will the investigating officer investigate, the color of the vehicle or from where he was coming?” asked the lawyer. He added that Niazi was arrested before the case was registered and taken to different police stations.
“All police actions are illegal,” said Niazi’s counsel Muhammad Ali Bukhari. He added that his client did not have any criminal record and was a professional lawyer.
The counsel also told the court that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had allowed Niazi to meet his legal team but he was denied the opportunity.
“The case should be dismissed on the basis of illegal actions taken by the police and action should be taken against the investigating officer,” urged Bukhari.
On the other hand, Niazi’s other counsel Sher Afzal Marwat told the court that the PTI leader’s “crime is that he is Imran Khan’s nephew”. He added that every other day baseless cases are registered and different people are sent on physical remand.
“Ever since the new IG took charge people’s rights are being trampled,” said Marwat. He added that Islamabad’s top cop makes political speeches in court.
Niazi’s third lawyer Chaudhry Qaiser Imam then told the court that parking the car in front of the barrier did not kill anyone.
“A case was registered four hours after Hassaan Niazi’s arrest,” said Imam.
Furthermore, lawyer Faisal Chaudhry told the court that he is willing to give an undertaking that no barrier was present as claimed by the police.
Meanwhile, the investigation officer asked the court to approve a seven-day physical remand of Niazi.
The prosecutor then asked the court to look at how the police were treated, adding that stones were pelted at the law enforcement personnel and beaten with sticks. He added that the police wanted to recover Niazi’s car.
“The investigation cannot be affected, Hassaan Niazi cannot be discharged,” said the prosecutor.
Judicial magistrate Abbas Shah then turned down the police’s plea for a seven-day physical remand and approved it for only two days.
The capital police, acting on the orders of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) chief justice, on Tuesday produced Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s nephew Hassaan Niazi before Judicial Magistrate Abbas Shah.
Hassaan was re-arrested in a separate case on Monday when he was leaving the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) after securing pre-arrest bail in three cases.
IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq had ordered Islamabad police to produce Hassaan before a court within 24 while hearing a petition moved by his counsel Faisal Fareed seeking his production before the court.
A case was registered against Hassaan by Ramna police on the charges of interference in government functioning and display of weapons. On Monday, the IHC chief justice directed the representative of Inspector General (IG) of Islamabad police not to torture Hassaan and carry out the investigation as per law.
The chief justice observed that if the accused person belongs to a political party, it does not mean that he should be deprived of his basic rights. The court also directed the police to arrange a meeting of Hassaan with his family members and lawyers. After issuing these directions, the IHC bench disposed of the matter.
In the petition, the counsel stated that the petitioner is a practicing advocate of High Court and the petition is filed to recover Hassaan Khan Niazi advocate, who has been “unlawfully and illegally abducted by the ICT Police from the court premises of Judicial Complex Islamabad.”
He informed the court that the abductee/petitioner appeared to seek pre-arrest bail in FIR No 3/2023 P/s CTD, Islamabad where his bail along with the undersigned counsels and he was granted pre-arrest bail by the Anti-Terrorism Court till 3rd of April 2023 while his pre-arrest bail in FIR No 153/2023 and 154/2023 p/s Ramna were confirmed.
The lawyer said that the abductee is a law practitioner and an officer of this court was coming out from the courtroom when the police picked him in unconstitutional and illegal manner from within the premises of Judicial Complex.
He contended that the liberty of the citizens cannot be curtailed other than save in the manner provided by law while the petitioner has been abducted in the most unlawful manner. Therefore, he prayed to the court the respondents be directed to produce the abductee before the court without fail.