Pakistan: Islamabad police rearrest Chaudhry Parvez Elahi after court orders his release

Sep 01, 2023

Islamabad [Pakistan], September 1 : Islamabad police on Friday rearrested Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, Pakistan-based Dawn reported. His arrest came hours after the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered his release.
Islamabad Police said that the former Punjab Chief Minister was taken into custody on orders of the district magistrate under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO). Section 3 of MPO empowers the government to arrest and detain suspected persons, Dawn reported. 
In a post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, "Pervez Elahi has been arrested under 3 MPO on the orders of the District Magistrate. Parvez Elahi is being transferred to jail."
Earlier, Chaudhry Parvez Elahi's son Moonis Elahi said that his father was “abducted” from outside his Lahore residence, Dawn reported. 
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Moonis Elahi, "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."
 
Earlier in the day, the Lahore High Court (LHC) directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to release Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, Pakistan-based Geo News reported.
Elahi had filed a petition against the NAB's move to arrest him in a corruption case. Lahore High Court Judge Amjad Rafiq announced the decision after Elahi was produced before the court, Geo News reported.
During the hearing on Friday, Justice Rafiq warned NAB that the court will issue a warrant against the accountability body's director-general if Elahi is not presented before the court today. He said that a complete inquiry would be carried out into his arrest.
Judge Rafiq said, "I am ordering to release Parvez Elahi on an immediate basis." Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Elahi said, "I thank God for the judge's order for my release and I thank everyone who prayed for me," Geo News reported.
On August 29, the former Punjab CM approached the court to challenge his detention and said that his arrest breached the LHC's orders restricting the authorities from arresting Elahi in any undisclosed FIR or pending inquiry.
NAB had accused Chaudhry Parvez Elahi of taking more than Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 1 billion as kickbacks through intermediaries in over 200 development projects in the Gujrat city of Pakistan, according to Geo News report.
Initially, Elahi was arrested on June 1 outside his house in a PKR 70 million graft case connected to the embezzlement of development funds announced for the Gujrat district. Since then, he has remained in prison on various charges. PTI President has been released multiple times after the court's orders. However, he was immediately rearrested each time.