Pakistan: Chaudhry Parvez Elahi challenges his arrest in Islamabad High Court 

Islamabad [Pakistan], September 2 (ANI): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi on Saturday challenged his arrest under MPO in Islamabad High Court (IHC), Pakistan-based ARY News reported. 

Former Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi has challenged his detention through his lawyer Abdul Razzaque, ARY News reported. He has made Secretary Interior, IG Police and others respondents in the plea filed in the court. Elahi requested the court to strike down his arrest under MPO and order his immediate release. 

He filed the plea in the court after Islamabad police rearrested him on Saturday. After his arrest, he was shifted to Attock Jail. Soon after he was taken to Islamabad, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Islamabad ordered his detention for 15 days under the Pakistan Maintenance of Public Order (MPO).

Islamabad administration issued the order and stated that the law and order situation could become worse due to Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, who they mentioned is a key office-bearer of the PTI, according to ARY News report. 

Informing about Elahi’s arrest on X, formerly known as Twitter, Islamabad Police on Friday wrote, “Pervez Elahi has been arrested under 3 MPO on the orders of the District Magistrate. Parvez Elahi is being transferred to jail.”

His arrest came after the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to release Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, Pakistan-based Geo News reported. Elahi had filed a petition against the NAB’s move to arrest him in a corruption case.

Lahore High Court Judge Amjad Rafiq announced the decision after Elahi was produced before the court, Geo News reported. During the hearing on Friday, Justice Rafiq warned NAB that the court will issue a warrant against the accountability body’s director-general if Elahi is not presented before the court today. He said that a complete inquiry would be carried out into his arrest.

Judge Rafiq said, “I am ordering to release Parvez Elahi on an immediate basis.” On August 29, the former Punjab CM approached the court to challenge his detention and said that his arrest breached the LHC’s orders restricting the authorities from arresting Elahi in any undisclosed FIR or pending inquiry.

NAB had accused Chaudhry Parvez Elahi of taking more than Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 1 billion as kickbacks through intermediaries in over 200 development projects in the Gujrat city of Pakistan, according to Geo News report.

Initially, Elahi was arrested on June 1 outside his house in a PKR 70 million graft case connected to the embezzlement of development funds announced for the Gujrat district. Since then, he has remained in prison on various charges. PTI President has been released multiple times after the court’s orders. However, he was immediately rearrested each time.