ISLAMABAD: Parvez Elahi, the president of former prime minister Imran Khan's party, was rearrested on Tuesday soon after the Islamabad High Court suspended his detention and ordered his release.
The Islamabad police in a post on X said the former Punjab province chief minister was arrested in a terror case. It posted the update soon after saying that the 77-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) leader was released after the high court's order.
Elahi is among several PTI leaders and workers arrested amid the state's crackdown on the PTI leadership following the May 9 riots during protests over party chief Khan being whisked away by paramilitary personnel at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises.
Earlier in the day, the IHC suspended Elahi's detention under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) and ordered his release. Section 3 of MPO empowers the government to arrest and detain suspected persons. Elahi was first arrested on June 1 and was charged with several graft cases.
The most recent arrest of Elahi was on Friday last week by Islamabad police, hours after the Lahore High Court ordered his release in a graft case and explicitly directed the authorities not to take him in custody in any other case. Subsequently, Elahi was shifted to Attock Jail in Punjab province from Lahore's Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
Meanwhile, talking to the media in Islamabad, Elahi's lawyer said: "I think all limits have been crossed and this is injustice with the country and its institutions and equivalent to making a mockery of the law and Constitution."
"Absolutely shameful how court orders keep getting disrespected by the fascist regime. Parvez Elahi's crime is standing for Pakistan, crime is not leaving PTI despite massive pressure," the PTI posted on X, condemning the arrest of its president.