The Lahore High Court (LHC) has demanded a response from Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Investigation Imran Kishwar and DIG Operations Ali Nasir Rizvi in relation to a contempt plea filed by the wife of PTI President Parvez Elahi. The plea accuses the officials of flouting court orders and wrongfully arresting her husband.
Elahi had been released by the LHC on Friday with a restraining order against any potential arrest by an agency or for preventive detention. However, he was re-arrested by the Islamabad police near his residence. A team of Islamabad and Lahore police intercepted Elahi’s vehicle and forcefully dragged him into an unmarked car.
The arrest was captured on video and widely shared on social media platforms, leading to condemnation from various quarters, including the Pakistan Bar Council.
The Islamabad police stated that Elahi, a former chief minister, was taken into custody under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order. Following his re-arrest, Elahi approached the Islamabad High Court for release, while his wife, Qaisara Elahi, filed a contempt plea with the LHC, alleging “wilful disobedience” by Punjab police officials.
Justice Amjad Rafiq of the LHC took up Qaisara’s plea and sought responses from DIG Kishwar, DIG Rizvi, and LHC SSP (Security) Rana Aslam. However, the officials failed to appear in court, prompting the judge to warn of issuing a notice for their non-compliance. In an unexpected development, DIG Security Kamran Adil arrived in court without being summoned for the case. The judge instructed all respondents to submit their responses by 2 pm.
During the hearing, Qaisara’s lawyer, Tariq Nasrullah Warraich, recounted the events of Elahi’s arrest, stating that he was present with the PTI president at the time. He mentioned that the police initially tried to stop Elahi’s car at Mall Road but were obstructed by “300 masked men” near Canal Road.
The judge questioned whether the route taken by Elahi was cleared in advance. Warraich responded that around 40 to 50 vehicles were following them, and three cars blocked Elahi’s vehicle as soon as it stopped. The lawyer attempted to intervene but was unsuccessful. When asked by the judge, he confirmed that all the individuals involved were dressed in civilian clothing.
The LHC will now await the responses from the DIG Investigation and DIG Operations to proceed with the contempt proceedings against the officials responsible for the arrest of Parvez Elahi.