Lahore High Court Issues Show-Cause Notice Over Elahi’s Unlawful Re-arrest

The Lahore High Court (LHC) recently served a show-cause notice to Islamabad Inspector General (IG) Dr Akbar Nasir Khan during a plea hearing concerning the production of PTI President Parvez Elahi in court. Last Friday, just after the LHC released Elahi and issued a restraining order against his potential arrest or preventive detention, he was re-arrested near his home by the Islamabad police, assisted by the Lahore police. This arrest carried out in a rather abrasive manner, saw visuals go viral and face widespread condemnation, including from the Pakistan Bar Council.

The Islamabad police, justifying their actions, stated that Elahi, a former chief minister, was arrested under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order and subsequently moved to Attock Jail. Meanwhile, calls for his release mounted, with Elahi and his wife, Qaisara Elahi, filing pleas.

Court Proceedings and Official Responses

During the recent hearing of Qaisara’s plea, LHC Justice Amjad Rafiq summoned both Punjab IG Dr Usman Anwar and Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Bilal Siddique Kamyana, seeking Elahi’s presentation in court to ascertain he was not in illegal custody. While the government lawyer asked for a postponement, Justice Rafiq warned that an order would be issued if IG Anwar failed to appear.

Later, IG Anwar appeared in court, asserting his limited responsibility over the Islamabad police actions and promised a fresh investigation into the incident. However, he and Punjab Advocate General Khalid Ishaq expressed ignorance about Elahi’s current whereabouts, contradicting Elahi’s lawyer, Latif Khosa, who maintained that Elahi was in Attock jail.

Rising Tensions and Future Steps

Following IG Anwar’s statement, which was largely perceived as untrue, the court issued a notice to Islamabad IG, seeking his explanation to avoid contempt proceedings. In parallel, Elahi’s son raised concerns over his father’s delayed return from a medical visit.

In a separate but connected development, the LHC also called upon various officials, including Lahore Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Investigation Imran Kishwar and DIG Operations Ali Nasir Rizvi in response to another plea filed by Qaisara Elahi, who seeks contempt proceedings against them for arresting her husband contrary to court orders. Despite initial confusion regarding the summoned individuals, the judge urged prompt responses from the concerned officials, highlighting the gravity and urgency of the matter. The incident, especially concerning the circumstances of Elahi’s arrest, remains under active discussion in court, with more developments expected soon.