LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday issued a show-cause notice for contempt of court to the Inspector General (IG) Islamabad, Dr Akbar Nasir Khan, while hearing a plea for former Chief Minister Punjab Parvez Elahi’s production in court.
Earlier last Friday, Islamabad police had re-arrested Elahi near his residence soon after the provincial apex court ordered to release him with a restraining order against his possible arrest by an agency or preventive detention.
However, soon after the release, a team from the Islamabad police team, in coordination with Lahore police had intercepted his vehicle near the FCC underpass in which Elahi was travelling with lawyer Sardar Latif Khosa to his house and dragged him into a white car having no number plate.
Over the arrest, the Islamabad police maintained the PTI President was taken into custody under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order. He was later shifted to Attock Jail.
After his re-arrest on Friday, Pervez approached the Islamabad High Court, while his wife, Qaisara Elahi, filed two other applications in the LHC, including contempt proceedings against Punjab police.
Accordingly, LHC’s Justice Amjad Rafiq summoned Punjab IG Dr Usman Anwar and Lahore Capital City Police Office (CCPO) Bilal Siddique Kamyana into the court to make their availability by 11 a.m. Monday; however, the government lawyer sought time till 2 p.m.
After their appearance in the court, A little after 2 pm, IG Anwar appeared in court along with Punjab Advocate General (AG) Khalid Ishaq. Amid their appearance, Justice Amjad Rafiq remarked, “The purpose for summoning you is to bring facts to light.”
However, Punjab IG Dr Usman Anwar replied that he was not responsible for the actions of Islamabad police, adding that he would initiate an investigation into the matter.
Meanwhile, the court inquired about the whereabouts of Pervez Elahi, to which the police official and AG expressed that they had no information about the location of Pervez Elahi.
Later, the court issued a notice to the Islamabad IG, including an explanation from him on why contempt proceedings should not be launched against him.
IHC Removes Objections on Pervaiz Elahi’s Petition
Meanwhile, on Monday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) also removed the objections of the Registrar’s Office on a petition filed by Pervaiz Elahi against his arrest under the Maintenance Public Order (MPO) and ordered to fix the case for hearing.
Elahi’s lawyer, Sardar Abdul Razzaq Advocate, remarked that his client had been arrested only to frustrate the orders of the Lahore High Court (LHC). The LHC had given clear orders that his client would not be arrested even under the MPO again.
To this, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri said that so far, it was removing the objection of the Registrar’s Office and directed for replacing the case for hearing.
