After being released following an Islamabad High Court order, Parvez Elahi was immediately re-arrested by the police.
Per the court’s directive, Parvez Elahi’s lawyers, Sardar Abdul Razaq and Sardar Shehbaz, arrived at the police lines with the court decision. Initially, they faced resistance from security personnel at the main gate but were eventually allowed to enter after some argument. The lawyers presented the written arrest warrant for Parvez Elahi at the police lines, leading to his release. However, as soon as he left the premises, he was arrested again.
The Islamabad Police spokesperson issued a statement confirming Parvez Elahi’s release as per the court order. Subsequently, it was revealed that he had been arrested again, this time by Police Station CTD in Case No. 3/23.
The case against Parvez Elahi pertains to a riot that occurred outside the judicial complex on March 18, 2023, and it was registered at police station CTD. It includes 11 provisions, including charges related to terrorism, as per the complaint filed by SHO police station Ramna. The case lists 17 individuals, including Chairman PTI, as persons of interest, but Parvez Elahi is not named as an accused. The case also involves the arrest of 59 individuals for vandalism and assault.
Notably, along with Parvez Elahi’s arrest, the police confiscated lawyer Sardar Abdul Raziq’s car. Parvez Elahi had left the police lines in his lawyer’s vehicle, and the authorities removed both the lawyer and his driver from the car, taking it away.
The lawyer representing the former Chief Minister of Punjab expressed frustration, stating that the police arrested Parvez Elahi in his car, and they have not returned the vehicle.
Prior to these events, the Islamabad High Court had ordered Parvez Elahi’s release while suspending the written arrest order under 3MPO. The court issued a notice to relevant parties, including the DC Islamabad, for a hearing on Tuesday and directed Parvez Elahi to appear. The court also instructed Parvez Elahi not to make any statements until the next hearing. According to the petitioner’s lawyer, there is no FIR registered against Parvez Elahi in Islamabad.
During the hearing, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri of the Islamabad High Court considered the request to nullify the MPO order made by Chaudhry Parvez Elahi. Parvez Elahi’s lawyer argued that he had been in jail for three months, making it unlikely for him to disturb the peace. The lawyer also emphasized that Parvez Elahi had not made any statements for four months and had been cleared of charges in an anti-corruption case. The lawyer asserted that the arrest was illegal, as Parvez Elahi was taken into custody by Lahore Police immediately after his release from Lahore High Court. When asked if any disturbance or procession had been organized in Islamabad, the lawyer replied in the negative and mentioned ongoing contempt of court proceedings against DC Islamabad for a similar order issued against Shehryar Afridi.