While issuing a show cause notice to Islamabad IGP Dr. Akbar Nasir Khan for alleged contempt of court, the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday ordered the Attock district and sessions judge to bring PTI President Parvez Elahi in court today (Tuesday).
The LHC’s only judge, Justice Muhammad Amjad Rafiq, has also demanded a full report from Punjab IGP Dr. Usman Anwar by this coming Friday on the alleged role of the Punjab police in the illegal re-arrest of the province’s ex-chief minister.
Elahi’s wife, Qaisara, submitted two petitions with Justice Rafiq, and he granted the orders after hearing them. Qaisara filed the applications after Elahi was arrested by the Islamabad Police on September 1, just hours after he had been released by the LHC. Elahi had been arrested under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance.
Interestingly, the high court eventually dropped the matter from its docket.
Elahi cannot be presented in Justice Rafiq’s court today due to the revised roster that was announced on August 30. From September 5 through October 28, Justice Rafiq will preside over cases in the LHC Multan Registry.
The LHC had ordered the Punjab police, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), and any other law enforcement agencies involved not to arrest the former CM, hence Elahi’s detention was widely criticised.
Qaisara has filed a plea for contempt against the DIGs of investigations and operations in Punjab for allegedly defying the direction of the LHC.
She had asked the court to release the seventy-year-old politician “if it is revealed that he had been kept in unlawful custody” in a second habeas petition.
There were a total of four rounds of deliberation on these two petitions.
To address the request for Elahi’s appearance in court, Justice Rafiq issued personal summonses to Punjab IGP Dr. Usman Anwar and Lahore CCPO Bilal Siddique Kamyana at 11 a.m.
The government attorney, though, requested further time till 2 o’clock.
“If the IGP fails to appear, the court will issue an order,” the judge said.
By 2:00 p.m., both IGP Anwar and the AG of Punjab, Khalid Ishaq, had arrived at court.
Just remarked to them, “The purpose for summoning you is to bring facts to light.”
The head of police in Punjab claimed he was not to blame for what happened in Islamabad. If my team shows any disrespect, it is solely my fault.
He assured the judge that he would look into the situation. I will get this case completely probed,” the Punjab IGP promised the court as he asked for extra time to prepare a response.
The official lied before the court when asked about Elahi’s whereabouts. Similarly, AG Ishaq stated that he was unaware of where Elahi was.
The IGP of Punjab has stated that at this time, information regarding Elahi can be shared with the police in Islamabad. However, the judge did mention that Elahi was currently being held in the Attock prison.
Defence attorney Latif Khosa argued that the Punjab IGP’s statement was “based on lies” and that Elahi should be released. However, the IGP insisted that Elahi’s location were unknown to Punjab police.
After some time, the court issued a notice to the Islamabad IGP, asking him to explain why he should not be held in contempt. In addition to summoning Elahi to appear before it on Tuesday (today), the LHC also summoned the appropriate judge from the district and sessions courts.
Elahi’s son Moonis also reported that the PTI president was transferred from Attock Jail to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and released at 1 p.m. Attock prison was where he was returned. Driving time is less than an hour at most. He has been gone for about three and a half hours,” Moonis wrote on X.
After removing the objections brought to the petition, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) also ordered its registrar to list for hearing a petition filed against Elahi’s imprisonment under the MPO. The plea on behalf of the PTI leader was heard by IHC Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri.
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) released a statement on Monday expressing its concern over the repeated arbitrary arrests of former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi.
It pointed out that the routine practise of arbitrary detention violates the Constitution’s protections against abuse of authority, court disobedience, and the rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.
