Islamabad, 1 Sep, 2023 (GNP): In a significant turn of events, a team from the Islamabad police took PTI President and former Chief Minister, Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, into custody in Lahore on Friday, invoking Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO).
The arrest followed shortly after the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to release Elahi.
The arrest occurred on Canal Road in Lahore, as Elahi was returning home from the high court after being freed from the custody of the judiciary. It has been reported that Elahi will be transferred to the federal capital via helicopter.
Earlier in the day, Justice Amjad Rafiq presided over a hearing related to a petition filed by Elahi, challenging his NAB arrest on alleged corruption charges. In his ruling, the judge barred authorities from apprehending the former Chief Minister of Punjab in any other cases.
Parvez Elahi is one of several PTI leaders and supporters detained as part of the government’s crackdown on PTI leadership following the May 9 riots during protests when PTI Chief Imran Khan was taken into custody at the Islamabad High Court premises.
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Elahi was initially arrested on 1st June and subsequently detained multiple times on various corruption charges. His most recent arrest by NAB on 14th August was linked to allegations of receiving bribes or kickbacks in exchange for awarding contracts for road projects in the Gujrat Highways Division to preferred contractors.
Upon his release, Parvez Elahi held the PML-N (Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz) accountable for the country’s economic state, alleging that they had fled to London after causing economic damage.
During the hearing, Justice Amjad Rafiq inquired about Elahi’s absence from court proceedings. The NAB prosecutor explained that the accountability watchdog was ready to bring Elahi to court but had received a letter from the Punjab government indicating threats to his life.
The prosecutor also mentioned that the NAB had requested security assistance from the government to transport Elahi to court, and the Punjab Deputy Inspector General (DIG) reported the use of bulletproof vehicles and police armored vans in an operation against riverine gangs.
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Elahi’s lawyer offered a bulletproof vehicle, prompting the court to order the anti-graft body to present the PTI president within an hour. The court warned that failure to comply would result in the issuance of arrest warrants for the Punjab DIG.
Around 12:15 p.m., Elahi was presented in court, after which Justice Rafiq ordered his release and barred authorities from arresting him in any other cases.
This marked a continuation of a series of arrests and rearrests involving Parvez Elahi, dating back to his initial arrest on June 1 on charges of kickbacks in development projects. These legal proceedings have encompassed multiple cases, legal actions, and detainments, including allegations of corruption, illegal recruitment, and money laundering.
