PTI President Chaudhry Pervez Elahi Rearrested Despite Court Orders

Islamabad police has recently rearrested Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi hours after the Lahore High Court ordered his release.

Islamabad Police stated that the former Punjab Chief Minister was taken into the custody on orders of the district magistrate under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order.

MPO’s section 3 empowers the government to arrest and detain suspected persons.

In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), “Pervez Elahi has been arrested under 3 MPO on the orders of the District Magistrate. Parvez Elahi is being transferred to jail.”

Previously, Chaudhry Parvez Elahi’s son Moonis Elahi stated that his father was “abducted” from outside his Lahore residence.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Moonis Elahi, “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.”

Furthermore, the Lahore High Court directed the National Accountability Bureau to release Chaudhry Parvez Elahi.
As per media, Elahi filed a petition against the NAB’s move to arrest him in a corruption case. Lahore High Court’s Judge Amjad Rafiq announced the decision after Elahi was produced before the court.

During the hearing on Friday, Justice Rafiq warned NAB that the court will issue a warrant against the accountability body’s director-general if Elahi is not presented before the court today. He stated that a complete inquiry would be carried out into his arrest.

Judge Rafiq stated, “I am ordering to release Parvez Elahi on an immediate basis.” Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Elahi said, “I thank God for the judge’s order for my release and I thank everyone who prayed for me.”

On August 29, the former Punjab CM approached the court to challenge his detention and stated that his arrest breached the LHC’s orders restricting the authorities from arresting Elahi in any undisclosed FIR or pending inquiry.
NAB accused Chaudhry Parvez Elahi for taking more than Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 1 billion as kickbacks through intermediaries in over around 200 development projects in the Gujrat city of Pakistan.

Initially, on June 1, Elahi got arrested outside his house in a PKR 70 million graft case connected to the embezzlement of development funds announced for the Gujrat district. Since then, he remained in prison on various charges.

PTI President has been released several times after the order of court.

However, he was immediately rearrested each time.