Pakistan: Lahore Court issues show-cause notice to Islamabad IG over Elahi's arrest

Sep 04, 2023

Islamabad [Pakistan], September 4 : The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday issued a show-cause notice to Islamabad Inspector General (IG) Akbar Nasir Khan for contempt of court in connection with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi’s detention under 3-Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) last week, Pakistan-based Geo News reported. 
The Lahore High Court directed the Islamabad police chief to appear before the court on September 8. Islamabad police on Friday rearrested Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi. His arrest came hours after the Lahore High Court (LHC) directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to release Chaudhry Parvez Elahi.
Informing about Elahi's arrest on X, formerly known as Twitter, Islamabad Police on Friday wrote, "Pervez Elahi has been arrested under 3 MPO on the orders of the District Magistrate. Parvez Elahi is being transferred to jail."
Subsequently, the former Punjab Chief Minister was put under house arrest in Adiala jail for the next 15 days. After his rearrest, Elahi approached the Lahore High Court seeking contempt proceedings against the Islamabad IG, according to Geo News report. 
Taking up the petition, the Lahore High Court directed the Islamabad IG to appear before the court in this regard on September 8. The Lahore High Court directed the sessions judge Attock to produce Elahi on September 5.
During the court hearing, the Punjab IG told the court that the Islamabad police had taken the Elahi into custody after being released by the NAB. He said that a report in this regard has been presented to the registrar. He further said that no Punjab police officer had stopped the Islamabad police from arresting Elahi.
Meanwhile, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed an appeal in the LHC with regard to a restraining order against Elahi’s possible arrest in any undisclosed case. In its plea, the NAB said that Elahi's detention was “legal” and he was on the “remand”, according to Geo News report.
NAB requested the court to declare the LHC single bench verdict in this case null and void. It also urged the LHC to suspend the single bench’s order till the decision of this appeal.
Earlier in the day, a spokesperson of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) said that Elahi was brought to the hospital for a “routine medical check-up”, Geo News reported. Doctors carried out a medical examination of Elahi at the hospital's emergency, according to the spokesperson. After his checkup, police took him to the Attock jail, the spokesperson added. 
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.