ATC approves two day physical remand of Pervez Elahi

ISLAMABAD: An anti- terrorism court on Wednesday approved two day physical remand of former Punjab Chief Minister and PTI Vice Chairman Pervez Elahi.

Early on the Islamabad police presented PTI President Parvez Elahi before an anti-terrorism court (ATC) at the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) in a newly-emerged terror case, dating back to March 18.

The development comes a day after he was re-arrested hours after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had suspended his detention under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance and directed his release.

Pervez Elahi’s arrest: LHC issues contempt of court notices

The police said Elahi was detained in a case registered at the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) police station.

Today, he was presented at the FJC before Duty Judge Shahrukh Arjumand.

During the hearing, the police sought a 14-day physical remand of the former Punjab chief minister while his counsel, Advocate Sardar Abdur Razzaq opposed it and urged the court to discharge Elahi from the case.

The court then reserved its verdict on the matter.

During an informal conversation with reporters at the FJC, Elahi said, “I have been kept at the CIA (Crime Investigation Agency) police station for the entire night.

“Why would anyone meet me? I am the one who doesn’t want to meet anyone,” he said.

When asked will he be holding a press conference soon he replied in negative and said he has no intention of holding any presser.

Meanwhile the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday issued a show-cause notice for contempt of court to the Islamabad Chief Commissioner (CC) Mohammad Anwarul Haq while hearing a plea for PTI President Parvez Elahi’s production in court and release.

It comes a day after the LHC had ordered the city’s CC and Inspector General (IG) Dr Akbar Nasir Khan — who had already been issued a show-cause notice on Monday — to appear before the court along with Elahi.

Today, Justice Mirza Waqas Rauf took up the habeas corpus petition, filed by Elahi’s wife Qaisera Elahi, and disposed of it declaring it infructuous.

Noting that implementation of the court orders was necessary, Judge Rauf told the advocate general that he could challenge the court order if he had any reservations about it.

“Tell the Islamabad chief commissioner that he is going to the Lahore High Court,” he said while addressing the advocate general, to which the latter once again informed the court that the IHC’s orders were already present.

“The chief commissioner should have appeared before this court,” the judge observed.

The LHC then disposed of the petition while declaring it as “infructuous”. It also issued a contempt of court show-cause notice to CC Haq, directing the registrar’s office to prepare a separate case file for the contempt proceedings.

He has now been arrested at least 11 times in various cases since the start of June and after a statewide crackdown was launched against the PTI in the aftermath of the May 9 violence.