PTI Secretariat
On Wednesday, Islamabad police raided the PTI Secretariat to arrest former finance minister Hammad Azhar, who had recently reappeared at the party’s central office in Islamabad after almost a year in hiding. The PTI claimed that the police left approximately an hour after completing their search operation.
Raoof Hassan, PTI Central Information Secretary, shared in a video posted on social media platform X that he and other party leaders were in a meeting when they were informed of the police entering the office without a warrant. He recounted asking the police for a warrant, only to be dismissed with, “Who are you to ask us for it?”
Sources told that Azhar had departed for Peshawar before the police raid, which was led by City SSP Khan Zeb and Karachi Company SHO Muhammad Naeem. Azhar had gone into hiding last year following a crackdown on the party leadership after the events of May 9.
In a brief interaction with media personnel upon his arrival at the PTI central secretariat, Azhar stated that he had received a message from Imran Khan the previous night, following an attack on Raoof Hassan.
Khan directed Azhar to rejoin the party leadership. Azhar explained that he came to the office to meet Hassan and then planned to go to Peshawar to seek interim bails and request more time.
He also intended to appear in Punjab courts to address the cases against him, asserting his innocence in all of them. He felt that, given the recent attack on Hassan, it was no longer right to stay hidden.
Videos shared by PTI supporters on social media depicted Hassan arguing with the Islamabad police, criticizing them for not arresting the person who attacked him and instead conducting such raids.
Hassan described the raid as an “unwarranted attack” and stated that it took place while a United Nations delegation was visiting the office, which he said “humiliated” the party.
A five-member UN delegation visited the PTI Central Secretariat and met with the party leadership. According to sources, the delegation inquired about Hassan’s condition.
Three members of the delegation were from the New York office, while two were from the Islamabad office. The meeting was attended by PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar, Secretary General Omar Ayub, Khalid Khurshid, and other party leaders.
Azhar’s reappearance and the subsequent raid by the police underscore the continuing tensions between the PTI and law enforcement, as well as the broader political challenges faced by the party.
The involvement of the UN delegation highlights the international attention on Pakistan’s political dynamics and the treatment of political figures.
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