Lahore (Web Desk): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President and former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi was arrested again hours after the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered authorities to immediately release him.
The court had ordered the additional registrar of the LHC, DG operations, and other security high-ups to ensure Elahi reaches his residence. However, he was reportedly intercepted en route reportedly by the Islamabad Police and arrested.
According to sources, the PTI president has been arrested under 3-MPO (Maintenance of Public Order) by the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
Footage broadcast on television channels showed men in plain clothes accompanied by uniformed Punjab policemen dragging Parvez Elahi out of his vehicle.
Lawyer Latif Khosa can also be seen sitting next to the PTI leader. Khosa was pulled out of the vehicle so the men could reach Elahi.
Earlier today, the LHC ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to release former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi.
Justice Amjad Rafiq of LHC was hearing a petition filed by the former Punjab CM against his arrest by the NAB in an alleged corruption case.
Announcing the verdict, the judge restricted the authorities from arresting the Parvez Elahi in any other case.
At the outset of the hearing today, the court asked why Elahi was not presented in court.
In his reply, the NAB prosecutor said the accountability watchdog was prepared to bring the former Punjab CM to court but it received a letter from the provincial government today regarding threats to Elahi’s life.
The prosecutor informed the court that the NAB had even asked the government for security to bring Elahi in the court but the Punjab deputy inspector general (DIG) had replied in a letter that bulletproof vehicles and police armoured vans were being used in the operation against riverine gangs.
The NAB prosecutor then informed the court that NAB is ready to produce Elahi if the provincial government ensures proper provision of security.
Elahi’s lawyer Rana Intizar Hussain said, “We are ready to provide a bulletproof vehicle.”
However, the court ordered NAB to present former chief minister within an hour and warned that it would otherwise issue arrest warrants for the Punjab DIG.
Following the court order, the NAB presented Elahi at around 12:15pm.
Justice Rafiq oedered Elahi’s release and barred authorities from arresting him in any other case.
The former Punjab CM was initially arrested on June 1 and subsequently detained multiple times on various corruption charges.
The NAB team on August 14 had arrested the PTI leader shortly after he was released from Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail after completing his 30-day detention, which was under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance.
NAB had informed the court that a supplementary grant of Rs72 billion was issued for specific sectors of Gujrat under Elahi as Punjab CM.
