ATC approves two-day physical remand of Pervez Elahi

The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) of Islamabad on Wednesday approved two-day physical remand of PTI President Pervez Elahi in Judicial Complex attack case.

The Duty Judge Shahrukh Arjumand while rejecting the plea of Pervez Elahi’s lawyers to discharge them from the case, delivered the verdict of approving physical remand of Elahi.

However, the court accepted Pervez Elahi’s request to meet his family.

During the hearing Elahi’s lawyer Sardar Abdul Raziq stated that such a case against his client was registered, which did not include Pervez Elahi.

Added that an accused was nominated in the case and not Pervez Elahi.

“Pervez Elahi was present in Lahore on the day when Chairman PTI Imran Khan appeared at the Judicial Complex,” said Elahi’s lawyer.

Added that everyone can see the state terrorism being committed against Pervez Elahi.

“If the court orders are not meant to be obeyed than the courts must be closed,” said lawyer Sardar Abdul Raziq.

The police tried to take Elahi out of the court, to which PTI president brushed off the police inspector stating “Don’t worry, I won’t jump from the window.”

Pervez Elahi told the police that he has been asked to sit in the court room till the decision comes.

Following this the police inspector left the court room.

PTI President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was arrested again soon after being released on Tuesday.

Pervaiz Elahi was arrested from the main gate of Police Lines after being released. He was taken away by Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and plainclothes personnel to an undisclosed location.

The Islamabad High Court has issued orders to release Parvez Elahi. The politician was brought to the Police Line Headquarters and was released. He was taken by his lawyers but stopped at the main gate and taken into custody.

Earlier, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended the detention of Pervaiz Elahi under MPO (Maintenance of Public Order) and ordered the Islamabad police to release him.

IHC Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri heard the plea that sought the declaration of Elahi’s detention under the MPO order “null and void”.

Elahi was rearrested under 3-MPO by the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police shortly after being released by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on the orders of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on September 1.

The PTI president had filed a petition in the IHC against his arrest by Islamabad police under MPO. The MPO order was issued by the district magistrate of Islamabad.

Elahi’s lawyer, during his arguments, said his client has been in jail for three months and questioned how he could possibly create a law and situation in custody. He also read out the MPO order in the court and shared that his client has not issued any statement in the last four months.

The counsel said that Elahi has no case registered against him in Islamabad and he was discharged from the anti-corruption case. He added that the politician’s arrest in the corruption case by the NAB was also declared illegal by the Lahore High Court.

The court inquired if Elahi was involved in riots or held rallies in Islamabad, to which his lawyer replied in negative. He also informed the court about the contempt of court proceedings against Islamabad district commissioner for passing a similar order against PTI leader Shehryar Afridi.

Justice Jahangiri maintained that the politician has been detained for more than three months. The judge summoned the deputy commissioner to court on the next hearing. The IHC also directed Elahi to avoid giving any statement until the next hearing.