LHC issues show-cause notice to Islamabad police chief over Parvez Elahi's arrest

• LHC ordered Islamabad IG to appear before it on Sept 8.
• NAB files appeal in LHC against its single bench’s order.
• Elahi was brought to Pims hospital for ‘routine check-up’.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday issued a show-cause notice for contempt of court to Islamabad Inspector General (IG) Dr Akbar Nasir Khan in connection with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Parvez Elahi’s detention under 3-MPO (Maintenance of Public Order) last week.

The LHC ordered the Islamabad police chief to appear before the court on September 8.

The PTI president was rearrested under 3-MPO by the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police shortly after being released by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and subsequently, the seasoned politician was put under house arrest in Adiala jail for the next 15 days. The ICT police rearrested him despite the LHC’s restraining order against his possible arrest.

Later, the former Punjab chief minister moved the LHC seeking contempt proceedings against the Islamabad IG.

Taking up the petition, the Lahore High Court ordered the Islamabad IG to appear before the court in this regard on September 8.

At the outset of today’s hearing, the Punjab IG apprised the court that the Islamabad police had taken the former provincial chief executive into custody after being released by the NAB. A report in this regard has been submitted to the registrar, he added. He further admitted that no Punjab police officer had stopped the Islamabad police from arresting Elahi.

NAB files plea in LHC

Meanwhile, the anti-graft watchdog filed an appeal in the LHC in connection with its restraining order against Elahi’s possible arrest in any undisclosed case.

In its plea, the NAB said that the ex-Punjab chief minister’s detention was “legal” and he was on the “remand”.

“The [LHC] single bench did not examine the facts properly and passed the order of [his]release.”

NAB pleaded with the court to declare the LHC single bench verdict in this case null and void. The anti-graft watchdog also urged the LHC to suspend the single bench’s order till the decision of this appeal.

Meanwhile, the LHC directed the sessions judge Attock to produce Elahi on September 5 (tomorrow).

Elahi brought to hospital for ‘routine check-up’

Earlier today, a spokesperson of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) confirmed that the former Punjab chief executive was brought to the hospital for a “routine medical check-up”.

Doctors conducted a medical examination of Elahi at the “emergency” of the hospital, the spokesperson added. “His [Elahi] blood pressure and various tests were conducted.”

Following his medical examination, the police took him back to the Attock jail, the spokesperson also said.

Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) set September 5 (tomorrow) as a date for hearing Elahi’s plea against his detention under 3-MPO.

It is pertinent to mention here that Elahi was initially arrested on June 1 from outside his residence in a Rs70 million graft case related to the embezzlement of development funds allocated for the Gujrat district.

Since then, Imran Khan's aide has been behind bars on various charges. During a span of around two and half months, the PTI leader was released multiple times on the courts’ orders but was rearrested immediately every time.

He was taken into custody during a crackdown launched against the party’s leadership following the May 9 riots.