Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Parvez Elahi was rearrested on Tuesday for the 10th time just hours after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended his detention under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) and directed his release.
The Islamabad police arrested Elahi in connection with a case registered at the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) police station.
This arrest came after the IHC ordered his release earlier in the day, calling his previous detention “patently illegal, unlawful, and without lawful authority.”
The initial arrest stemmed from events on March 18 when clashes erupted between Islamabad Police and PTI workers outside the Judicial Complex.
The case against Elahi included charges like rioting, unlawful assembly, obstructing public servants, theft, and acts of terrorism.
The PTI responded to the latest arrest by condemning the authorities, accusing them of disrespecting court orders. The party asserted that Elahi’s “crime” was standing for Pakistan and remaining in the PTI despite immense pressure.
Elahi’s lawyer, Sardar Abdul Raziq Khan, expressed outrage at the situation, stating, “I think all limits have been crossed. This is injustice with the country and its institutions and equivalent to making a fun of the law and Constitution.”
The legal battle saw a rollercoaster of events, with the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordering Elahi’s release on Friday, along with a restraining order against his possible arrest. However, just hours after his release from Adiala Jail, an Islamabad police team, with assistance from the Punjab police, intercepted Elahi’s vehicle, taking him into custody once more under Section 3 of the MPO.
Section 3 of the MPO grants the government the authority to arrest and detain individuals it deems a threat to public safety or order, with detention periods not exceeding six months at a time.
Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri of the IHC, in response to Elahi’s petition, suspended the detention order, ordering Elahi’s immediate release if he was not required in any other case. The court also directed Elahi not to engage in unlawful activities or contribute to any harm to public safety.
The Islamabad deputy commissioner and Elahi are expected to appear in person at the next hearing, scheduled for September 12.
Elahi’s lawyer argued that his client had been in jail for over three months and had not engaged in any actions to disrupt public order. He also noted that there were no cases registered against Elahi in Islamabad, and he had been discharged from a corruption case.
