ISLAMABAD: A judicial magistrate on Tuesday handed over custody of Hassan Khan Niazi, nephew of former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan, to the police for two days.

Ramna police arrested Niazi on Monday on the charge of intimidating and obstructing police officers from discharging their duties.

The FIR was registered against Niazi on March 20 under Section 34 (criminal act), 186 (obstruction in discharging official assignment), 353 (assault on public servants), 427 (causing damages) and section 506 ii (criminal intimidation).

He was taken into custody after his pre-arrest bail was confirmed in two other cases related to violence on the arrival of Mr Khan in judicial complex.

The police produced him before the judicial magistrate Abbas Shah and sought his physical remand for seven days.

His counsel read out the contents of the FIR and said Niazi appeared before the court and was leaving the judicial complex when the police arrested him.

He said Islamabad had been turned into a police state and requested the judicial magistrate to discharge Niazi from the case in the interest of justice.

Judge Abbas Shah however handed over his custody to the police for two days and directed them to produce him again on March 23.

Meanwhile, ATC Judge Raja Jawad Abbas Hassan granted physical remand of Siddique Jan and handed his custody to the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) for one day.

He was arrested on Monday on the complaint of a police official over allegation of obstructing him in the discharge of his responsibilities.

Earlier, the police claimed that he was arrested over a video showing him giving direction to the police for throwing teargas towards the judicial complex. However, no such video was available with the police when Jan was produced before the court.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2023