Massive Protest Erupts in POJK After Arrest of Former Prime Minister Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi

There have been huge protests in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) since the arrest of Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi, who served as the Prime Minister of the region from August 4, 2021, to April 14, 2022 and is now the President of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) PoJK. 

Niazi was arrested on Sunday in Samahni, moments before he was supposed to speak at a political gathering. Police said that he was arrested before he got on stage and is currently being transported to Mirpur. 

“Before he could participate in the rally, Abdul Qayyum Niazi was taken into custody,” a police officer told Republic Media adding that he was being moved to Mirpur following the arrest.  He was arrested under Section 16 of the MPO, 1960. 

Abdul Qayyum Niazi was the Prime Minister of PoJK.  On April 12, 2022, 25 members of his own party, the PTI, filed a no-confidence motion against him in the PoJK legislative assembly, which cut short his stint in government.  He stepped down before the vote could happen.  This political shake-up came just a few days after Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, was dismissed from office on April 9, 2022. This had a domino effect on PTI's leadership in other parts of the country. 

In May 2023, widespread unrest erupted across Pakistan after the arrest of former Prime Minister and PTI founder Imran Khan at the Islamabad High Court in connection with a corruption investigation. The incident triggered a wave of protests by PTI supporters, some of which escalated into violence. Demonstrators were accused of targeting military facilities and government buildings, including a high-profile attack on the residence of the Lahore corps commander.

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