Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former federal minister Hammad Azhar was taken into custody in Multan in connection with several cases filed over the violence that erupted on May 9, 2023. Following his arrest, he was transferred to Lahore police authorities.
Azhar had been evading authorities for an extended period after multiple cases were registered against him related to the nationwide unrest. The turmoil began after the arrest of PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan on May 9, 2023, prompting violent protests across the country. Azhar resurfaced briefly in July 2025 during his father’s funeral but soon returned to hiding.
He had been declared a proclaimed offender in these cases, which involve attacks on public and military facilities during the May 9 disturbances. His arrest comes amid ongoing actions against PTI members accused of participating in these violent incidents.
Hammad Azhar has held several key roles within the PTI government, including serving as the federal minister for economic affairs and later as the minister for industries and production under Imran Khan’s administration. He was among the youngest politicians to present Pakistan’s federal budgets for the fiscal years 2019-20 and 2020-21.
In April 2020, following criticism over the sugar crisis inquiry report, Azhar was reassigned from the economic affairs ministry to the Ministry of Industries and Production. He also served as PTI’s Punjab president and later as acting provincial president before resigning due to internal party conflicts and pressure.
As a prominent member of PTI’s political and economic leadership, Azhar remained a vocal supporter of Imran Khan even after the party lost power in April 2022. His withdrawal from public life followed the crackdown on PTI activists after the May 9 protests, which saw widespread violence and attacks on military and government properties.
The PTI has consistently labeled the charges against its leaders and supporters as politically motivated, whereas authorities emphasize the necessity of legal action against those involved in violent acts and vandalism during the unrest.
