Islamabad police arrest Parvez Elahi soon after release by LHC

LHC orders LEAs not to arrest PTI president in any other case

LAHORE (Dunya News) - Islamabad police arrested PTI President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi shortly after the Lahore High Court ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to release him.

The capital city police took him into custody near FC College underpass on Lahore Canal Road under Maintenance of Public Order (3 MPO) when he was moving back to his residence from the high court. Police officials took him out from PTI lawyer Sardar Latif Khosa's vehicle forcibly and went away. The former CM will be shifted to Islamabad through a helicopter.

Reacting to the development, Moonis Elahi said his father was taken into custody as he entered the street leading to his house. court orders were being defied publicly, he slammed the authorities.

"After high court’s orders and on the Judge’s instructions police including court security were taking my father home. As the car entered our street, it was stopped and he was abducted. If court orders are going to be ridiculed like this maybe they should officially declare it," he wrote on social media platform X.

 

— Moonis Elahi (@MoonisElahi6) September 1, 2023

The high court had ordered that the former Punjab chief minister will not be arrested in any undisclosed case.

Earlier, Lahore High Court's Justice Amjad Rafique had warned that if PTI leader Elahi was not presented before the court, the NAB director general would have to face the consequences. 

On Friday, the NAB team presented Elahi in court amid strict security. 

As the hearing started, the high court ordered release of Parvez Elahi and barred the LEAs from arresting him in any other case. 

The court issued these orders while hearing PTI leader Elahi’s petition. During the hearing, Justice Amjad Rafiq said the accountability court had been told that the intra-court appeal had been rejected. The NAB prosecutor said it was not in his knowledge.

Justice Rafiq said there would be a complete inquiry and ordered immediate release of Elahi. 

Court expresses resentment 

Earlier, at the beginning of the hearing, the court inquired where was Elahi. The NAB prosecutor said they had written a letter to the Punjab government for provision of security on Parvez Elahi's appearance in court.

Justice Rafiq said this meant NAB did not want to present Elahi in court.

The NAB lawyer said they were ready to present Elahi but there were serious security threats to the life of the PTI leader and the Punjab government was not cooperating with NAB on security matters.

The lawyer of the Punjab government presented the letter related to security matters in court.

The Punjab government counsel told the court that the police were currently engaged in an operation in Katcha area and bullet-proof armoured vehicles were engaged in operation against outlaws.

Justice Rafiq said whatever was happening in the country, it was a possibility that the judge could also be made a suspect. 

The court said Elahi had been produced in the trial court several times. The court further ordered the LEAs to produce Elahi in court within an hour.

“If Elahi is not produced in court in one hour, arrest warrants of the NAB DG will be issued,” the court warned.