—— Court instructs authorities not to arrest Elahi in any pending case
—— Moonis says Elahi ‘abducted’ in Lahore hours after release
LAHORE: Former Punjab chief minister Pervez Elahi on Friday was arrested again shortly after the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered authorities to immediately release the PTI leader.
The provincial high court had ordered the additional registrar of the LHC, DG operations, and other security high-ups to ensure Elahi reaches his residence. However, he was reportedly intercepted en route by the federal police and arrested.
The court had instructed for an inquiry to be conducted into his arrest in violation of court orders and also instructed authorities not to arrest Elahi in any pending case.
During the proceedings earlier today, the court warned the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) that an arrest warrant would be issued for the watchdog’s director general if former chief minister Pervez Elahi was not produced before the court within one hour.
Expressing displeasure over NAB and the provincial government’s conduct, Justice Amjad Rafiq remarked that the high court is being undermined. “Stop playing ping-pong with the court.”
The province’s top court had directed the accountability watchdog twice to produce Elahi in court, but NAB failed to do so on one pretext or another.
During the proceedings today, Additional Advocate General Ghulam Sarwar Nihung initiated his argument by stating that they could not obtain the court order passed on Thursday and then read a letter from the provincial caretaker government, wherein the court was informed that the armed forces and the Punjab Police were busy with anti-terrorism operations.
He further said that armoured vehicles are also not available and added that the CTD had reported that there are threats to the lives of the politicians, including Elahi’s.
The NAB prosecutor then informed the court that NAB is ready to produce Elahi if the provincial government ensures proper provision of security.
After hearing the statements made by the law officer and the NAB counsel, Justice Rafiq stated that an “all-out” effort is being made to undermine the court.
In reply, the accountability watchdog’s counsel stated that if security issues are not resolved, the move to produce Elahi would be “risky”, but even then, the bureau is prepared to follow the orders of the court.
The LHC was hearing a petition filed by the former chief executive of the province challenging his arrest by the accountability watchdog.
Elahi has claimed in his petition that his arrest is a violation of the LHC’s earlier order, barring the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), FIA, NAB and Punjab Police from arresting him in any known or unknown case registered against his person.
A day earlier, Justice Rafiq termed the repeated arrests of the senior PTI leader “drama” and expressed his displeasure over the issuance of detention orders and the registration of multiple First Information Reports against Elahi.
On the other hand, PTI leader and former federal minister Moonis Elahi has said his father Chaudhry Parvez Elahi was “abducted” from outside the latter’s residence in Lahore on Friday, hours after he was released in a graft case.
Taking to social media platform X (erstwhile Twitter), Moonis said: “After the 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.”
He added that if courts were going to be “ridiculed like this maybe they should officially declare it”.
Footage broadcast on television showed men in plain clothes dragging the former Punjab chief minister from inside his car. Lawyer Latif Khosa can also be seen in the clip, who was pushed aside by the unidentified persons.
Elahi’s arrest comes hours after the Lahore High Court ordered the National Accountability to release the PTI president and barred authorities from arresting him in any case.
Elahi is among several PTI leaders and workers who have been arrested amid the state’s crackdown on the PTI leadership following the May 9 riots during protests over party chief Imran Khan being whisked away by paramilitary personnel at the Islamabad High Court premises.
He was first arrested on June 1 but was deprived of his freedom repeatedly and dragged in on several graft cases. –Agencies
