LHC orders police to produce Parvez Elahi tomorrow

Lahore: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday ordered the chief commissioner and the Islamabad IGP to produce Parvez Elahi in court tomorrow.

Despite Justice Amjad Rafiq of the Lahore High Court's decision, the police had arrested Parvez Elahi in Lahore, and the court had voiced its displeasure at the senior politician's subsequent re-arrest.

The IGP of Islamabad had also received a notice of contempt from the court. Later, the Justice Amjad Rafiq bench was replaced.

The plea for Elahi's recovery was considered by Justice Mirza Waqas Rauf after Justice Rafiq on Tuesday. Sessions judge Attock and the deputy superintendent of the jail both attended the hearing. Elahi was not brought before the judge during the session, though.

During the hearing, the court asked the sessions judge, “Elahi was handed over to Islamabad police on Monday at 11 o'clock, when did you reach the jail?”

Elahi wasn't present when the sessions judge arrived at the jail in the afternoon, according to him.

He was sent to Police Lines in Islamabad after the checkup, the government's attorney informed the court.

The CPO and DPO who were absent from court sessions were questioned by the judge. The court stated that charges of contempt of court could be brought against them. The court also demanded an explanation for the jail superintendent's absence from the hearings.

The jail supervisor was unable to appear in court, according to the extra advocate general, for a variety of reasons. The Islamabad IGP and the chief commissioner were then called before the court, which later postponed the hearing till 11 a.m.

Justice Waqas instructed the Islamabad commissioner to present Elahi on Wednesday during the case's re-hearing. He claimed that it appeared the government had no interest in creating Elahi. The chief commissioner of Islamabad, according to the court, disregarded the directive.

The two Islamabad policemen were later called before the Lahore High Court in person, and the hearing was postponed till tomorrow (Wednesday).