Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf President and former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi was rearrested under 3-MPO (Maintenance of Public Order) by the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police shortly after being released by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), media reports said. The seasoned politician would be put under house arrest in Adiala jail for the next 15 days, the reports added.
Earlier in the day, the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered the anti-graft watchdog to release Elahi. LHC Justice Amjad Rafiq announced the verdict after Elahi was presented before the court.
During the hearing, Justice Rafiq warned NAB that the court would issue a warrant against the accountability body’s director-general if Elahi is not produced. Justice Rafiq said that a complete inquiry into his arrest will be conducted. “I am ordering to release Parvez Elahi on an immediate basis,” remarked the judge.
Speaking to media persons after the hearing, Elahi said, “I thank God for the judge’s order for my release and I thank everyone who prayed for me.”
Earlier, the former chief minister’s son Moonis Elahi claimed his father was “abducted” from outside his Lahore residence. “After the high court’s orders and on the judge’s instructions police including court security were taking my father home. As the car entered our street, it was stopped and he was abducted,” he said. Moonis added that if court orders were going to be “ridiculed like this maybe they should officially declare it”.
A video shared by Moonis on X showed men in plain clothes accompanied by uniformed Punjab policemen dragging the former Punjab chief minister out of his vehicle. Lawyer Latif Khosa can also be seen in the clip. He was sitting next to Elahi and was pulled out of the vehicle so the men could reach the PTI president.