The arrest of Shahrez Azeem, a nephew of PTI founder Imran Khan, has sparked controversy as he was named in the supplementary statement of the May 9 Jinnah House attack case.

An anti-terrorism court in Lahore has approved an eight-day physical remand of Shah Riaz Khan in the May 9 Jinnah House case.

According to police, the accused was arrested from Zaman Park a day earlier and was presented before the court for further investigation and recovery. Police had requested physical remand for this purpose.

The defense counsel, Salman Akram Raja, opposed the remand plea, but the court accepted the police request and granted an eight-day remand.

Police said the accused was arrested yesterday and that recovery, including his phone, is yet to be made.

During the hearing, PTI’s counsel Salman Akram Raja strongly objected to the timing of the arrest, questioning why police took 27 months to discover his alleged involvement. He argued that Shahrez Azim’s name was never mentioned in the supplementary statement, which has been read out in court over 1,500 times.

Raja said, “Just yesterday, the PTI founder was granted bail, and by the evening, his nephews were being arrested. This clearly shows mala fide intent.” He added that Shahrez Azim is an international-level sportsman who has traveled abroad several times but was never summoned in any case.

The lawyer further stated that Shahrez was in Chitral from May 6 to May 13 and should not be implicated. “He should not only be released immediately but also discharged from the case,” Raja urged the court.

He also reminded the court that Shahrez Azim’s mother had earlier been discharged in the same case. “You yourself have ordered that if names are included after such a long delay, it amounts to mala fide,” he argued.

Police, however, requested a 30-day physical remand, which Raja termed “excessive.” The court remarked that it would review the supplementary file before making a decision.