ATC remands Elahi in police custody for two days

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), Islamabad, on Wednesday approved the two-day physical remand of former Punjab chief minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.

Duty Judge Shahrukh Arjumand directed the police to produce Elahi again on September 8. Earlier, Elahi refused to leave with the police when the ATC in Islamabad reserved its decision on the police’s request for a 15-day physical remand. The duty judge heard the plea as ATC judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain was on leave.

The former CM is accused of sending rioters to Islamabad to vandalise the Judicial Complex besides providing vehicles and batons for the same, the police claimed, adding that physical remand was being sought to question Elahi about unidentified criminals and recover vehicles.

The defence counsel countered the police’s request and termed it “ridiculous”. He informed the court that Elahi was acquitted in two cases in Gujranwala but arrested immediately after release and termed it political victimisation. The counsel further apprised the court that Elahi is unwell and is suffering from a back problem.

Later, Elahi told the court that he fears arrest by the accountability court once he leaves the ATC premises. “A certain SP Sahib came to me last night and said I will be arrested in a 17-year-old NAB case.” Even before the decision was announced, police came to arrest him. Elahi refused to leave, insisting that he would wait in the courtroom for the directives of the judge. When a police officer said “Sir, Sahib has ordered we take you outside,” Elahi repeated that he would only comply with court orders and asked which “Sahib” had given the orders.

Talking to media persons in the courtroom, Elahi said Chaudhry Shujaat had sent him to the PTI, so he was not leaving the party. Elahi said Shujaat would have joined the PTI but he could not due to his son Chaudhry Salik, who wanted to be a minister.

Meanwhile, Elahi’s counsel approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against his arrest despite the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) orders for his release. A contempt of court petition was filed against the Islamabad IG and deputy commissioner in this regard. Elahi’s counsel Sardar Abdul Razzaq listed SSP Operations, Shalimar Police Station SHO and others as respondents in the plea, which moved the court to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the relevant officers besides issuing directives for departmental action against them.

In a related development, the LHC issued a contempt of court notice to the Islamabad chief commissioner for not producing Elahi before the court. The hearing was conducted by Justice Mirza Waqas Rauf. Rawalpindi City Police Officer Syed Khalid Hamdani, Attock District Jail Superintendent Arif Shehzad, and Attock DPO Sardar Ghiyas Gul Khan appeared before the court. The court remarked that despite the court order, Islamabad Police arrested Elahi. It further remarked that the court order was very clear but he (Elahi) was arrested and transferred to the Attock Jail. The judge said that chief commissioner Islamabad violated the court order, so a show-cause notice was issued to him for contempt of court.

The PTI president was arrested hours after his release from NAB custody on September 1, after the LHC had explicitly restricted the authorities from arresting him earlier that same day. The September 1 order was a reiteration of similar orders issued by the high court on July 13, 2023. Elahi has been arrested and detained repeatedly since the May 9 riots. - ONLINE