Ex-AJK PM Niazi Arrested in Bhimber Rally

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Former Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi was arrested in Samahni under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, linked to the May 9, 2023, riots, as he prepared to address a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rally.

On August 3, 2025, police detained Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi, the former Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and current president of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) AJK chapter, in Samahni, Bhimber district, as he arrived to speak at a PTI rally, according to Dawn. Mirpur Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Liaquat Chaudhry confirmed the arrest was executed under Section 16 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, 1960, on orders from the deputy commissioner, citing warrants related to the May 9, 2023, riots, per Geo.tv. Those riots, sparked by PTI founder Imran Khan’s arrest, saw supporters allegedly vandalize military installations and public buildings, leading to hundreds of cases, as reported by The News. Niazi was transferred to a sub-jail at Mirpur’s industrial area guest house, per Dawn.

PTI’s legal spokesperson, Naeem Haider Panjutha, condemned the arrest, stating that it reflects attempts to suppress PTI’s advocacy for Jammu and Kashmir, according to The Express Tribune. Niazi’s nephew, Sardar Moteeb, noted that plainclothes personnel from Islamabad attempted to seize Niazi’s possessions, but local officials intervened, per Dawn. Two other PTI members from Kotli, Malik Nisar and Dr. Shahnawaz, were also detained, as stated by Niazi’s press secretary to Dawn. The rally was part of a campaign to demand Khan’s release, with PTI planning a major protest in Lahore on August 5, per Business Recorder.

The arrest follows Niazi’s interim bail in five cases tied to PTI’s November 26, 2024, protest, granted by an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on January 14, 2025, per The News. Niazi, who served as AJK Prime Minister from August 2021 to April 2022, has been a vocal PTI leader, previously criticizing state interference in judicial matters, per The Express Tribune. The K-P government, led by PTI’s Ali Amin Gandapur, has called for peaceful protests, per Pakistan Today.