The Lahore High Court has recently issued a bailable arrest warrant against Islamabad Inspector General of Police Dr. Akbar Nisar Khan for not appearing before the court in a contempt case related to the arrest of PTI Chairman Pervez Elahi.
Previously, on September 1, the Islamabad police re-arrested Elahi near his residence soon after the Lahore High Court (LHC) set him free and issued a restraining order against his possible arrest by any agency or preventive detention. After the re-arrest, the PTI president’s wife, Qaisara Elahi, filed 2 pleas in the LHC, seeking directions for the relevant authorities for presenting him in court and contempt proceedings against Punjab police officials on the grounds of “wilful disobedience”. On Sept 4, the LHC issued a show-cause notice for contempt of court to IGP Khan while hearing the plea for the production of Parvez in court. Prior to a day before, the LHC directed him to appear before the court in a personal capacity on Sept 6 along with Elahi. But during the Sept 6 hearing, the Islamabad advocate general informed the court that the Islamabad IG could not comply with its directive as he had to appear before the Supreme Court.
Subsequently, LHC Justice Mirza Waqas Rauf resumed hearing of the contempt plea today. Therefore, the court ruled that a bailable warrant was to be issued for his arrest “in the sum of Rs50,000 executable through the superintendent of police concerned returnable to the learned sessions judge, Islamabad”.
The order stated respondents that had filed their replies in the case while the Punjab police chief had also submitted his report as per the Lahore High Court’s Sept 4 order. The order added, the petitioner’s counsel wanted to go through the report and permission for that had been granted.
The hearing was adjourned till Sept 18.
