A Faisalabad anti-terrorism court (ATC) sent Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) chief Sahibzada Mohammad Hamid Raza to Faisalabad Central Jail on Friday, with the instructions that he serve the 10-year sentence meted out to him in a case pertaining to PTI’s May 9 protests. Hamid was convicted in the case along with several PTI leaders on July 31. His brother and SIC acting Chairman said that he was detained by Islamabad police while he was travelling to Faisalabad with the intention to surrender himself before the court.

Police arrested him near a picket on Islamabad bypass road, Hassan said while speaking to the media outside the Faisalabad ATC, where Hamid was produced. Separately, a post on Hamid’s X account also cited Hassan as saying that Hamid was detained by Islamabad police as he was en route to Faisalabad.“He was travelling from Peshawar to Faisalabad to surrender. Islamabad police arrested him,” the early morning post stated, citing Hassan.

PTI leader Omar Ayub also posted about the development, saying that Raza was “abducted” from Islamabad late last night. “Sahibzada Hamid Raza sahib, my dear friend and colleague, has been abducted from Islamabad late last night whilst en route to surrender in the conviction awarded by an anti-terrorism court [in] Faisalabad,” Ayub posted on social media platform X.“Sahibzada Hamid Raza sahib is a brave and very loyal ally of PM Imran Khan (sic). He must be produced immediately in the relevant court,” the PTI leader added.

The development comes two days after the Peshawar High Court rejected Raza’s plea seeking transit bail in a case in which he was convicted by an ATC in Faisalabad and subsequently disqualified as a member of the National Assembly by the Election Commission of Pakistan. The conviction was announced on July 31 and Raza, along with other PTI leaders, was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment for involvement in the May 9 riots, when violent demonstrations had broken out in the country following the arrest of ex-premier Imran Khan.

Following the riots, thousands of protesters, including party leaders, were arrested. Later, the ECP had also deprived the PTI of its bat symbol, compelling party members to contest the 2024 elections as independent candidates. Subsequently, the PTI had allied with the SIC in a bid to get reserved seats, which are allocated on a party basis.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)