No respite for Pervez Elahi

LAHORE:  In a continuing legal ordeal, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi was arrested by Islamabad police in Lahore, despite earlier orders from the Lahore High Court (LHC) barring the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from detaining him.

The arrest took place on Canal Road, Lahore, following his release from NAB custody in a series of legal proceedings.

The LHC had issued production orders for Elahi to attend a hearing held earlier on Friday. Justice Amjad Rafiq subsequently issued release orders, instructing the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of police to ensure Elahi’s safe return home.

However, shortly after the LHC’s directive, the former chief minister found himself arrested again, this time by the Islamabad police.

Elahi’s legal team has announced their intention to once again approach the court regarding this re-arrest issue, with a petition slated for submission to the LHC.

On August 29, the PTI leader had contested his detention in the LHC, asserting that his arrest contravened prior LHC orders restricting authorities from apprehending him in undisclosed FIRs or pending inquiries.

Chaudhry Parvez Elahi faces multiple legal charges and has endured multiple arrests in recent months. Among the allegations against him is the receipt of over Rs 1 billion in kickbacks through intermediaries in more than 200 development projects in Gujrat district during his second term as chief minister of Punjab.

Despite periodic releases ordered by the courts, Elahi has been promptly re-arrested each time, with his initial detention stemming from a crackdown on PTI’s leadership following the May 9 riots.