ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was arrested by the police once again on his way home after being released by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on the orders of the Lahore High Court.
The Islamabad Police, in a statement on the social media platform X (Twitter), announced that Parvez Elahi had been arrested under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) on the orders of the District Magistrate and was being transferred to jail.
پرویز الہٰی کو ڈسٹرکٹ مجسٹریٹ کے حکم پر 3 ایم پی او کے تحت گرفتار کیا گیا ہے۔
پرویز الہٰی کو جیل منتقل کیا جارہا ہے۔#ICTP
— Islamabad Police (@ICT_Police) September 1, 2023
Munis Elahi, the son of Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, stated on the social networking platform X that in accordance with the High Court’s order and the judge’s instructions, the security personnel, including the police, were escorting him home. He added that as soon as their car entered our street, it was intercepted and he was abducted.
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.
— Moonis Elahi (@MoonisElahi6) September 1, 2023
Munis Elahi expressed that if the courts could be insulted in this manner, they should make an official announcement to that effect.
Munis Elahi also released a video on X, in which several individuals in plain clothes, along with Punjab Police personnel, can be seen removing former Chief Minister of Punjab Pervez Elahi from the car.
پولیس نے لاہور ہائیکورٹ کے حکم کی دھجیاں اُڑا دی pic.twitter.com/NYcv4G4oh4
— Moonis Elahi (@MoonisElahi6) September 1, 2023
At the same time, lawyer Latif Khosa can also be seen; he was seated in the car with Pervez Elahi, but the individuals mentioned above removed him from the car and brought him to Chaudhry Pervez Elahi.
Previously, the Lahore High Court had ordered the release of former Punjab Chief Minister and PTI President Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, who had been arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on charges related to assets exceeding income and alleged involvement in government contract scams.
During the Lahore High Court proceedings, Justice Amjad Rafiq presided over the case concerning the arrest of Parvez Elahi by NAB. He stated that former Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi should be released and not arrested in any circumstances.
The Punjab government presented a letter from the Counter-Terrorism Department regarding the threat to Parvez Elahi in court.
Justice Amjad Rafiq inquired why NAB had not presented Parvez Elahi as ordered, to which the NAB lawyer responded that the National Accountability Bureau was prepared to produce Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, but the Punjab government had received a letter today stating that Parvez Elahi’s life was in danger.
He further informed the court that NAB had also requested security assistance from the Punjab government to transport Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, to which Pervez Elahi’s lawyer offered to provide a bulletproof vehicle to NAB.
In a written response filed in court, the DIG mentioned that armored and bulletproof vehicles were engaged in the Kacha operation, and withdrawing them could lead to a resurgence of criminal activity in the area.
The NAB lawyer told the court that they were willing to present Chaudhry Pervez Elahi without security, but asked who would be responsible if something were to happen.
The Lahore High Court ordered Chaudhry Pervez Elahi to be produced within an hour, with Justice Amjad Rafique remarking that if Pervez Elahi was not presented, a warrant for the DG NAB Lahore would be issued.
Subsequently, the court adjourned the hearing for an hour, setting a deadline of 12 noon to act on Pervaiz Elahi’s petition.
When the hearing resumed, NAB complied with the court order and brought Parvez Elahi to the Lahore High Court.
Justice Amjad Rafiq expressed his dissatisfaction with the delay and questioned why Chaudhry Pervez Elahi was not presented on time.
The Lahore High Court ordered the release of Chaudhry Pervez Elahi and instructed that he should not be arrested in any case.
It’s important to note that Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi had been instructed to appear at 2 o’clock the previous day.
Parvez Elahi’s Arrest and Trials:
Parvez Elahi is among several PTI leaders and activists arrested during the state crackdown following the May 9 riots.
He was initially arrested on June 1 by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) on allegations of accepting bribes in development projects near his Lahore residence.
The following day, a Lahore court acquitted him in the case, but ACE arrested him again in a similar case registered in the Gujranwala area.
Subsequently, a Gujranwala court acquitted him on June 3 in two corruption cases related to misappropriation of funds.
Despite being cleared of these charges, the anti-corruption establishment re-arrested Parvez Elahi on charges of ‘illegal recruitment’ in the Punjab Assembly.
On June 9, a special anti-corruption court had given ACE a ‘last chance’ to produce case records related to illegal appointments.
On the same day, the National Accountability Bureau initiated another inquiry against the PTI president for alleged embezzlement in development projects in Gujarat and Mandi Bahauddin.
On June 12, the Sessions Court annulled the acquittal of Pervez Elahi by the Judicial Magistrate in the embezzlement case, leading to his re-arrest.
On June 20, Parvez Elahi was granted relief from the Lahore Anti-Corruption Court but remained in jail as the orders for his release were not communicated to the jail administration.
On the same day, the FIA registered a case against him, his son Monis Elahi, and three others on charges of money laundering. The following day, FIA detained him from jail, placing him on judicial remand in a money laundering case.
On June 24, the Special Court Central of Lahore granted bail to the former chief minister in the money laundering case.
However, on June 26, a district court in Lahore again sent him to jail for a 14-day judicial remand in connection with the money laundering case, after which the FIA arrested him outside the camp jail.
On July 12, the Lahore Sessions Court dismissed the FIA’s plea against the denial of physical remand of Pervez Elahi in the unexplained banking transactions case.
Two days later, the Lahore High Court restrained the police and ACE from arresting the former Punjab Chief Minister in any unknown case.
Finally, on July 15, a banking crime court ordered the release of Chaudhry Parvez Elahi from Camp Jail in the money laundering case. However, he was not released, and the police reported that a case had been registered against the PTI leader under terrorism provisions at Ghalib Market police station.
