SOUTH ASIA

Pakistan court issues arrest warrant for Islamabad Inspector General of Police in Elahi arrest case

September 12, 2023 2 min read

A masked protester sits next to a flag of Pakistan during an anti-Indian protest in Srinagar, November 25, 2016. REUTERS/Danish Ismail

Islamabad [Pakistan], September 12 (ANI): Lahore High Court has issued a bailable arrest warrant for Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) Akbar Nisar Khan for not appearing before the court in a case related to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi‘s arrest, Pakistan-based Dawn reported.

According to the court’s order on September 11, the Islamabad IGP did not appear before the court despite a notice issued to him. The court has now said that a bailable warrant was to be issued for his arrest “in the sum of Rs 50,000 executable through the superintendent of police concerned returnable to the learned sessions judge, Islamabad”, Dawn reported.

According to the court’s order, the respondents had filed their replies in the case and the Punjab police chief had also presented his report as per the order issued by Lahore High Court. The court also allowed the petitioner’s counsel to go through the report. The court hearing was adjourned till September 18.

The court’s decision comes after the Islamabad police on September 1 re-arrested Elahi near his residence soon after the Lahore High Court set him free and issued a restraining order against his possible arrest by any agency or preventive detention, according to Dawn report.

Following his re-arrest, the PTI President’s wife Qaisara Elahi filed two pleas in the Lahore High Court and requested the court to issue orders for relevant authorities to present him in court and start contempt proceedings against Punjab police officials over “wilful disobedience”.

On September 4, the Lahore High Court issued a show-cause notice for contempt of court to IGP Khan while hearing the plea for Pervaiz Elahi’s appearance in court. On September 4, the Lahore High Court asked him to appear before the court in a personal capacity on September 6 along with Elahi.

On September 6, the Islamabad advocate general during a court hearing said that the Islamabad Inspector General could not follow the directive as he had to appear before the Supreme Court. Lahore High Court Judge Mirza Waqas Rauf resumed hearing the contempt plea on September 11.
On September 5, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, was arrested shortly after being released from prison on Tuesday, ARY News reported.

His arrest came hours after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended his detention under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) and ordered his release. As per details, Pervaiz Elahi was released from Police lines and came outside with his lawyer Advocate Sardar Abdur Razaq in his vehicle.

The PTI president’s counsel said that he and his driver were taken out of the vehicle and Pervaiz Elahi was abducted outside the Police lines in that vehicle, according to ARY News report. However, the police officials stated that the PTI president has been arrested by the CTD officials in the judicial complex attack case. (ANI)