—– Court to frame charges on Oct 2nd
—– Elahi’s one-day remand approved
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Akbar Nisar Khan over a contempt case linked to PTI President Parvez Elahi’s arrest. On September 1, the Islamabad police had re-arrested Elahi under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) from near his residence soon after the LHC had set him free and issued a restraining order against his possible arrest by any agency or preventive detention.
After the re-arrest, the PTI president’s wife, Qaisara Elahi, filed two pleas in the LHC, seeking direc-tions for relevant authorities to present him in court and contempt proceedings against Punjab police officials on the grounds of “willful disobedience”.
On Sept 4, the LHC issued a show-cause notice for contempt of court to IG Khan while hearing the plea for Parvez’s production in court. A day later, the LHC further directed him to appear before the court in a personal capacity on Sept 6 along with Elahi.
But during the Sept 6 hearing, the Islamabad advocate general informed the court that the Islamabad IG could not comply with its directive as he had to appear before the Supreme Court.
In the last hearing on Sep 11, the court had issued bailable arrest warrants for the Islamabad police chief for his no-show. The court had directed him to appear before it on Sep 18, only for him to skip the hearing again.
Today, LHC Justice Mirza Waqas Rauf again asked about the absence of the inspector general and questioned whether “the court orders are being taken for granted”.
The government’s counsel informed the court that the Islamabad police chief was “busy”. The court then sought confirmation from the government’s counsel regarding the IG’s whereabouts.
Following a short break, the court issued non-bailable arrest warrants for IG Khan, noting that he had failed to appear before the court even when bailable arrest warrants were issued during the last hear-ing of the case.
The court sought the government’s counsel’s reply on the matter, to which the counsel responded that he had been unable to establish contact with the IG.
Subsequently, the hearing was adjourned until October 2.
The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday fixed October 2 for framing charges on the investigations and operations DIG in a contempt plea after their replies, submitted in connection with the arrest of former chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, were rejected for being non-satisfactory.
Justice Mirza Viqas Rauf also issued bailable arrest warrants for chief commissioner Islamabad, superintendent Attock jail, and non-bailable arrest warrants for inspector general police (IGP) Islamabad after they did not appear before the court despite a clear order to ensure their presence.
Justice Rauf was hearing a plea filed by petitioner Qaisara Elahi, wife of Pervaiz Elahi, seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against the top officials and other relevant officers over allegedly disobeying LHC’s order that had restrained NAB, any other authority, agency, and office from arresting and detaining the former CM under any law relating to preventive detention.
But shortly after Elahi’s release, the Islamabad police arrested him again when he was being taken to his residence under the supervision of the DIGs and additional registrar LHC.
In previous proceedings, Justice Rauf following the non-appearance of IGP Islamabad had first issued bailable arrest warrants and now issued non-bailable arrest warrant.
As proceedings commenced Monday, Justice Rauf asked where is IG Islamabad to which the law officer told the court that a reply had been received on his behalf but he did not attend owing to other commitments.
Expressing his displeasure, Justice Rauf remarked that it seems the court’s orders are being taken “easy” and then directed the law officer to talk to IG Islamabad to know how he will attend the court proceedings.
In the second phase of proceedings, petitioner Qaisara Elahi’s counsel argued that police officials had been directed by the LHC’s Justice Muhammad Amjad Rafiq to ensure Elahi safely reached his residence, however, Islamabad police violated the order and those officials who had been tasked to take Elahi safely to his residence did nothing except rendering a role of “silent spectators”.
On the other hand, the law officer told the court that Islamabad police detained Elahi under 3MPO.
Justice Rauf then issued bailable arrest warrants for chief commissioner Islamabad, superintendent Attock jail and non-bailable arrest warrant for Inspector General Police (IGP) Islamabad.
Moreover, An anti-terrorism court (ATC) handed over Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi to the Punjab Anti-corruption Establishment on a one-day transit remand.
According to reports, Elahi was presented in the court of Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain. The anti-corruption authorities, who arrested the former Punjab chief minister shortly after he was released from Adiala jail, had filed an application requesting transit remand.
Elahi’s counsel lawyer Sardar Abdul Razzaq, in his arguments, stated that his client was accused of recruiting his own staff – an action that isn’t criminal, according to him. Can’t the chief minister appoint his own chief secretary? he asked. Razzaq argued that a CM has all authority to appoint his staff and that Elahi was discharged from a local court yesterday pertaining to this case.
Razzaq further claimed that his client has been subjected to political revenge since January given how he’s arrested each time he is discharged from a courtroom. “How is appointing a person named Muhammad Khan as chief secretary beyond his authority?” he asked.
Upon which the judge requested the date for when this inquiry began. Elahi’s counsel stated that DG Anti-Corruption is “making cases overnight” against the PTI stalwart. The Lahore High Court directed that Elahi cannot be arrested again, and yet they’re arresting him in new cases.
“Yesterday, a judge in Lahore also asked whether there’s any other registered case against Elahi and the prosecution said no,” he said.
Judge Zulqarnain further asked the prosecution to list down any other cases registered against Elahi. The judge reserved his decision and subsequently handed Elahi to Punjab ACE on a one-day transit remand.
Elahi’s misery
Elahi on Sunday was arrested after an ATC in Lahore ordered his release while discharging him in a case of irregularities in the Lahore Master Plan 2050. He was held in a terrorism case and transferred to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi from Lahore.
Elahi’s counsel told that the PTI leader had been rounded up at least 12 times since June 1 following the May 9 protests, which broke out across the nation after party chairman and deposed premier Imran Khan’s arrest.
He was presented in the court on Sunday following his arrest by the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) in Rawalpindi a day earlier seeking his physical remand. The ACE had taken him into custody shortly after being released from Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.
The court earlier reserved its decision on the ACE’s request. It later dismissed the request, discharging PTI president in the case.
“Prima facie, no incriminating material is available against the accused which can connect him with the commission of the alleged offence. Hence, the accused person namely Chaudhry Parvez Elahi is hereby discharged in this case,” the judgment read.
The court instructed the authorities to immediately release Elahi if he was not needed in any other case. –Agencies
