Lahore: In a significant legal development, the Lahore High Court (LHC) has issued an arrest warrant for Dr. Akbar Nasir Khan, the Inspector General (IG) of Islamabad Police, in connection with a contempt case. The arrest warrant comes following a contempt plea filed against the Islamabad police IG, accusing him of disregarding court orders regarding the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Parvez Elahi.
The LHC took this action after Dr. Akbar Nasir Khan failed to appear before the court in response to a show-cause notice. The court has directed law enforcement agencies to apprehend the top police official and present him in court on September 18.
The warrant was issued based on a petition filed by Parvez Elahi’s wife, Qaisara, and follows a previous show-cause notice for contempt of court issued to IG Dr. Khan last week in connection with Parvez Elahi’s detention under the 3-MPO (Maintenance of Public Order).
Earlier, the LHC had summoned the Islamabad police chief to appear before the court on September 8, a summons that went unheeded.
Parvez Elahi’s legal troubles began last month when he was rearrested by the Islamabad Capital Territory police shortly after his release by the National Accountability Bureau. He was subsequently placed under house arrest in Adiala jail for 15 days, despite the LHC’s restraining order against his detention.
It is worth noting that Parvez Elahi’s initial arrest on June 1 was related to a Rs70 million graft case involving alleged embezzlement of development funds designated for the Gujrat district. Since then, the PTI leader has faced multiple charges and has been released on court orders, only to be rearrested promptly on each occasion. His arrest was part of a broader crackdown on the party’s leadership following the May 9 riots.
