Elahi seeks relief from LHC yet again

Former Punjab chief minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf President Pervez Elahi approached the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday to challenge his arrest by the accountability court 'in violation of LHC orders'.

The petition, filed on behalf of the former CM by his counsel Amid Saeed Rawn, referred to LHC's order restraining the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Punjab Police from arresting Elahi in any blind or undisclosed FIRs or pending inquiries.

The petition maintained that NAB's professed inquiry, initiated on June 9, 2023, was not disclosed by the anti-graft watchdog despite court orders to submit information detailing all criminal cases and pending inquiries against Elahi.

Hence, NAB's arrest in this inquiry stands in contravention of LHC's orders issued on July 13, 2023 - the detailed verdict for which was issued earlier this week.

The petition states that since the caretaker Punjab CM Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi was appointed, Elahi has been subjected to political victimization by law enforcement agencies, with the state implicating him in dubious cases with the sole purpose of humiliating him.

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It further adds that despite being granted protective bail for two disclosed FIRs and a restraining order acquired against blind or undisclosed FIRs and inquiries, Elahi was not released from Lahore district jail on July 15, when his counsel approached prison authorities.

The grounds cited for keeping Elahi behind bars were a detention order allegedly issued by the Lahore deputy commissioner but that order was in fact not actually issued till July 16, 2023, according to the petition.

Elahi's counsel has further stated that an inquiry was initiated by NAB on June 9, 2023, which was then upgraded into an investigation on July 18, 2023.

NAB then issued an arrest warrant on August 11 and took Elahi into custody on August 14, according to the petition, which adds that Elahi was informed of another inquiry-turned-investigation through a call-up notice issued on August 25 while the former CM remains in the bureau's custody.

The petition moved the court to bar all the respondents from arresting Elahi in all undisclosed criminal cases, inquiries or investigations and ensure his release for "at least a reasonable time as the court may deem appropriate" so the former CM has the opportunity to approach the courts of law.

It further prays the court to declare Elahi's latest arrest and call-up notice issued by NAB null and void as it stands in violation of court orders.

An accountability court had remanded Elahi in NAB custody for one week on August 15 in connection with a case related to the alleged award of illegal contracts during his second term as the Punjab CM.

He was arrested a day prior by the country's top graft buster from outside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi minutes after his release on the conclusion of his 30-day detention period.

The former CM has been under arrest multiple times since May 9 riots.