PTI claims Hammad Azhar arrested in Punjab

PTI claims Hammad Azhar arrested in Punjab.

Key points

• Imran Gabol Published September 6, 2026 Updated September 6, 2026 10: 05pm.
• Nevertheless, Lahore Investigation Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Muhammad Naveed stated that he had no confirmation regarding Azhar's arrest or handover to Lahore police.
• Replying to a query, Multan Regional Police Officer (RPO) Usman Akram Gondal informed Dawn that he was unaware of any arrest and did not have any information.
• After his two previous resignations were rejected, in April 2025, Azhar had stepped down as the president of the party's Punjab chapter for the third time.
• Moonis Elahi, son of PTI President Parvez Elahi, remarked Azhar had been arrested in "various false cases".

Imran Gabol Published September 6, 2026 Updated September 6, 2026 10: 05pm. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

Meanwhile, the PTI on Sunday asserted that its leader Hammad Azhar has been arrested, denouncing the action as "political vengeance".

While police authorities stated they were unaware of his arrest, sources noted the PTI leader was taken into custody in Multan in a case pertaining to the May 9, 2023 riots.

As reports indicate circulating online, the PTI leader was handed over to the Lahore police over his alleged involvement in a May 9 case.

In its statement, the PTI termed the former finance minister's arrest "the worst example of political vengeance and fascism".

For context, the party demanded that Azhar be immediately presented in court if there was a criminal case against him, his fundamental and legal rights be ensured, and the "series of political vengeance be halted".

"Hammad Azhar is being continuously targeted with retaliatory actions on political grounds. The administration is recklessly using state power to suppress political opponents and silence the voice of PTI, " it alleged.

Former opposition leader in NA, Omar Ayub, additionally maintained on X that Azhar has been arrested.

"Strongly condemn this act, " the PTI leader wrote, alleging that the move aimed to "thwart" the party's march planned for September 27.

Azhar reappeared in public on May 22, 2024, a year after he had gone into hiding when the state introduced a crackdown against the party leadership after the violent incidents of May 9.

In practice, the PTI leader had evaded arrest by the Counter-Terrorism Department. It raided the PTI secretariat in Islamabad.

In practice, a police spokesperson remarked at the time that Azhar is wanted in three separate cases by the capital police, including two registered with Ramna police and one filed in 2023 with the CTD.

Imran Gabol is a Lahore-based reporter for Dawn with over a decade of experience in journalism. He covers politics, climate change, human rights, education, and metropolitan affairs. He can be discovered on X at @gabolizm.

For now, PTI claims Hammad Azhar arrested in Punjab remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.