The Lahore High Court (LHC) has issued a show-cause notice for contempt of court to Islamabad Inspector General (IG) Dr Akbar Nasir Khan in relation to the arrest of PTI President Parvez Elahi. The arrest occurred shortly after the LHC had set him free with a restraining order against further arrest by any agency or preventative detention.
Elahi was re-arrested near his residence by Islamabad police, with the assistance of Lahore police, and taken into custody. The arrest was captured on video and widely shared on social media, drawing criticism from the Pakistan Bar Council and others.
The Islamabad police claimed that the former chief minister’s detention was carried out under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order. In response, Elahi approached the Islamabad High Court for his release, while his wife filed two pleas in the LHC, seeking Elahi’s appearance in court and contempt proceedings against Punjab police officials for willful disobedience.
In today’s hearing, the LHC summoned Punjab IG Dr Usman Anwar and Lahore Capital City Police Office (CCPO) Bilal Siddique Kamyana in response to Qaisara’s petition. The court prayed that relevant authorities produce Elahi in court to confirm that he is not in illegal custody. If it is found that he is in unlawful custody, the former chief minister should be released. The court also emphasized that the Islamabad police should have reported back with the LHC’s restraining order if they were acting under the district magistrate’s orders.
The court’s order appointed the Attock district and sessions judge as the LHC’s bailiff to recover Elahi from the Attock Jail superintendent’s custody. The superintendent has been ordered to hand over custody, while the Rawalpindi city police officer and Attock district police officer are directed to produce Elahi in court on Tuesday. The Attock district and sessions judge, along with a magistrate, will supervise Elahi’s safe transport to court. The Attock Jail superintendent has been summoned to appear in person to explain his disregard and violation of the court’s order.
Moreover, the Lahore High Court has initiated separate proceedings under the Contempt of Court Ordinance against the inspector general of police, Islamabad, for the illegal arrest of Elahi and contempt of the court’s order.
In the hearing, the court summoned IG Anwar and CCPO Kamyana, who appeared before it along with Punjab Advocate General (AG) Khalid Ishaq. The AG stated that he was not responsible for the actions of the Islamabad police and that he would launch a fresh investigation into the matter. Both the IG and AG expressed ignorance about Elahi’s current location.
In response, Elahi’s lawyer, Latif Khosa, contested the Punjab IG’s claim, calling it “based on lies.” The IG reiterated that the Punjab police were unaware of Elahi’s whereabouts. Subsequently, the court issued a notice to the Islamabad IG, seeking an explanation for his actions and why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against him. The court also directed the relevant district and sessions court judge to appear before it with Elahi.
In a separate plea, Qaisara sought contempt proceedings against Lahore DIG Investigation Imran Kishwar and DIG Operations Ali Nasir Rizvi for flouting court orders. The court sought a response from the officials and warned of issuing a show-cause notice in case of continued absence. DIG Security Kamran Adil, who appeared in court without being summoned, was instructed to submit a response by the court.
The court proceedings revealed that Elahi’s arrest involved a confrontation between his car and a group of unidentified men. The lawyer representing Qaisara highlighted that the men involved were not in police uniforms. The Punjab IG assured the court that both officers would appear before it when they return.
As the case continues, the Lahore High Court is actively pursuing contempt proceedings against the Islamabad IG and investigating the circumstances surrounding Parvez Elahi’s arrest.