The Islamabad High Court has issued an order for the immediate release of Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, the former Chief Minister of Punjab, and suspended his placement on the Fourth Schedule, which falls under the Anti-Terrorism Act. This development came after a petition was filed in the Islamabad High Court seeking to declare Pervez Elahi’s placement on the Fourth Schedule as unlawful.
The Chief Justice of Pakistan, Gulzar Ahmed, headed a three-member bench in the Islamabad High Court to hear the case. The bench also included Justice Aijazul Hassan and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah.
During the court proceedings, the legal counsel representing the Chairman of PTI argued that Pervez Elahi had been in custody for three months, and questioned how his actions could create a threat to public safety and peace.
In response to the court’s inquiry, Pervez Elahi’s lawyer read the Anti-Terrorism Act order and highlighted that the former Chief Minister had not made any public statements or engaged in any activities that could be deemed as a threat to public safety in Islamabad. The lawyer also mentioned that Pervez Elahi had been discharged from corruption cases, and the NAB (National Accountability Bureau) cases against him had also been deemed illegal by the Lahore High Court.
The Islamabad High Court questioned whether Pervez Elahi had conducted any rallies or processions in Islamabad, to which the lawyer clarified that there had been no such rallies or processions. This clarification led to a discussion about a similar order against Sherryar Afridi, and it was noted that contempt of court proceedings were ongoing against the Deputy Commissioner of Islamabad in that case.
The Islamabad High Court then inquired about the date of Pervez Elahi’s initial arrest. The lawyer informed the court that Pervez Elahi had been initially arrested on June 1st.
Justice Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri of the Islamabad High Court issued a directive to the Deputy Commissioner of Islamabad to produce Pervez Elahi before the court for the next hearing, which is scheduled for Tuesday. The court also made it clear that Pervez Elahi should not make any statements or engage in any activities that could disrupt public peace until the next hearing.
It should be noted that the District Magistrate of Islamabad had previously issued an order for Pervez Elahi’s placement on the Fourth Schedule under the Anti-Terrorism Act. However, the Islamabad High Court’s recent decision has led to his immediate release from this status, pending further court proceedings.
