LHC asks NAB to explain Elahi’s arrest 'drama'

Expresses displeasure over violation of its order barring authorities from detaining former CM

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has characterized the repeated arrests of PTI leader Parvez Elahi as a "drama." It has summoned the Lahore director-general of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to explain why the anti-corruption watchdog apprehended the former Punjab chief minister in an undisclosed inquiry, despite a court order.

On Wednesday, a single-judge bench of the LHC, led by Justice Muhammad Amjad Rafiq, took up Elahi’s petition challenging his "illegal" arrest by the country's top graft watchdog.

The petition, filed on Tuesday, referred to the LHC's July 13 order which restrained authorities, including the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and the Punjab Police, from arresting Elahi in any blind or undisclosed First Information Reports (FIRs) or pending inquiries.

The petition maintained that NAB's alleged inquiry into the illegal awarding of construction contracts in Gujarat during Elahi’s second term as Punjab chief minister was initiated on June 9, 2023.

It stated that the anti-corruption agency did not disclose the inquiry even after the LHC’s July 13 order and arrested the former CM outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail shortly after his release from the prison on August 14, marking the end of his 30-day detention period.

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Elahi’s counsel, Amir Saeed Rawn, informed the court on Wednesday that NAB had converted the inquiry into an investigation on July 18 and had issued his arrest warrant on August 11 without informing the accused.

The court expressed dissatisfaction with Elahi's arrest despite the court order. Additional Advocate General Ghulam Sarwar Nihung, representing NAB, defended Elahi's arrest by arguing that the LHC's July 13 order did not issue any specific directions to NAB.

However, Elahi's counsel rejected this argument, stating that the anti-graft body had assured the court that no inquiry was pending against the PTI president.

Justice Rafiq noted that although NAB was not mentioned in the order, it was likely omitted because NAB had informed the court that no inquiry was pending against Elahi. He questioned the sudden initiation of an inquiry, stating, "These consecutive arrests are nothing short of a drama."

The NAB prosecutor also argued that the court order had been complied with as NAB was not mentioned in it. Justice Rafiq questioned, "Why was the court not informed about these cases when asked about all disclosed, undisclosed, and blind inquiries and investigations?"

The court subsequently summoned the Lahore director-general of NAB in person for the next hearing on Thursday [today]. It also directed the anti-graft body's prosecutor to submit a comprehensive report on the status of ongoing inquiries and investigations against Elahi.