- He is being held at Mirpur industrial area guest house after declaring it as a sub-jail: DIG Mirpur
MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi, was arrested on Sunday over violations of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (MPO), the police confirmed
According to police officials, Niazi was detained in the Samahni area of Bhimber district when he arrived to address a protest rally. Footage circulating online shows a heavy police presence surrounding him, with visible tensions and heated exchanges between PTI supporters and law enforcement officers.
Sardar Moteeb, Niazi’s nephew, confirmed that his uncle was arrested while heading to Bhimber city from Samahni to attend a PTI rally related to the campaign demanding the release of party founder Imran Khan from prison.
“He was arrested under Section 16 of the MPO,” Moteeb said. “A team of plainclothes personnel had arrived from Islamabad to take his possessions, but local officials refused to hand them over to them and sent them back.”
Moteeb added that Niazi obtained bail from the Islamabad High Court on July 13, which was further extended on July 26 until August 17.
Mirpur Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Dr Liaqat Ali said that Niazi was arrested under Section 16 (dissemination of rumours) of the MPO under the orders of the Mirpur deputy commissioner.
“He is being held at the industrial area guest house in Mirpur, which has been declared a sub-jail,” he said.
The Mirpur DIG added that plainclothes policemen from Islamabad came to detain the ex-PM under a first information report (FIR) filed at the Karachi Company police station in the federal capital, but “we did not allow them to take him into custody”.
He was also booked under Sections 7 (punishment for terrorism) and 11X (responsibility for creating civil commotion) of the Anti-Terrorism Act and Section 8 (punishment) of the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act.
DIG Dr Ali added that Niazi left Mirpur last night and headed to Bhimber to attend rallies.
“Apart from Niazi, two other PTI office bearers from Kotli district, Malik Nisar and Dr Shahnawaz, were also taken into custody,” he added.
Niazi in 2022 tendered his resignation from his office to defuse the move by his parliamentary party, the PTI, to replace him with regional president Sardar Tanveer Ilyas through a vote of no-confidence.
The MPO law in Pakistan allows authorities to detain individuals without trial for up to 90 days to prevent threats to public peace and safety.
