Imran’s ally presented in Pakistan anti-terror court after arrest

A senior political figure allied with jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Sahibzada Hamid Raza, was presented before an anti-terrorism court in the eastern city of Faisalabad on Friday after police arrested him in connection with riots that shook Pakistan in 2023.

Demonstrations broke out nationwide following Khan’s arrest that day, and military facilities were among the targets attacked by crowds.

Raza is the chairman of the Sunni Ittehad Council, a religious party that later became politically aligned with the PTI.

Police said Raza was taken into custody by Civil Lines Police in case No. 832, one of several terrorism-related cases registered after violent protests erupted on May 9, 2023.

Following his arrest, security personnel escorted Raza to the anti-terrorism court, where officials said they had secured approval to transfer him to jail. Authorities moved him under police security shortly after his court appearance.

Raza had previously been convicted in a similar case. On July 31, an anti-terrorism court in Faisalabad sentenced him to 10 years in prison for alleged involvement in the May 9 violence. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) subsequently disqualified him as a member of the National Assembly.

The Faisalabad court issued the conviction while Raza was not in custody.

Raza’s family and political allies said he was arrested late Wednesday near Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, as he traveled from Peshawar to Faisalabad to surrender before authorities.

Interim Sunni Ittehad Council chairman Sahibzada Hasan Raza confirmed his detention.

PTI leader Omar Ayub sharply criticized the arrest on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter. Ayub said Raza had been “abducted from Islamabad late last night whilst en route to surrender in the conviction awarded by ATC Faisalabad.”

“Strongly condemn this action,” the post read. “Sahibzada Hamid Raza sahib is a brave and very loyal ally of PM Imran Khan. He must be produced immediately in the relevant court.”

Raza’s arrest came two days after the Peshawar High Court rejected his request for transit bail — a temporary protection allowing a suspect to travel from one jurisdiction to another to appear before the court that issued a ruling.

The May 9 unrest has become one of the most consequential political flashpoints in Pakistan since Imran Khan’s ouster in 2022. The violence led to thousands of arrests, including senior PTI leaders.

The government and military called the riots an attack on national security and have pursued prosecutions in civilian and military courts. PTI has insisted the cases are part of a push to dismantle the party and sideline Khan from politics.

The legal fallout also reshaped Pakistan’s electoral landscape.

The Election Commission of Pakistan in January last year stripped PTI of its iconic “bat” symbol, a key identifier in a country with varying literacy levels. That meant PTI-backed candidates contested the February 2024 general elections as independents.

After the vote, PTI members joined the Sunni Ittehad Council to secure seats reserved for women and minorities — positions allocated based on party, not independent strength. Raza played a central role in that partnership before his disqualification.

Human rights organizations in Pakistan have called on authorities to ensure due process for political detainees from all parties. International watchdogs, including Amnesty International, have previously raised concerns about restrictions on political participation in the country.