Hammad Azhar, a key leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) who had been in hiding since the May 9 riots last year, has reappeared.
Azhar made a surprising appearance at the PTI central secretariat in Islamabad on Wednesday, startling many observers.
He revealed that PTI founder Imran Khan had instructed him the previous day to take charge of the party’s leadership in Punjab.
Azhar expressed his confidence in the judiciary and outlined his plan to secure pre-arrest bail from the Peshawar High Court before addressing his cases in Punjab, which he described as false and baseless.
In an appeal to Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, Azhar urged the dismantling of the country’s oppressive system before the Chief Justice’s retirement, emphasizing the hopes of the nation’s youth.
Azhar disclosed that he had been in hiding on instructions to avoid arrest due to the risk of violence but decided to come forward after a message from the PTI leader following an incident involving Raoof Hasan.
He indicated that other leaders, including Murad Saeed, would also soon come out of hiding.
