The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday issued a bailable arrest warrant for Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Akbar Nisar Khan over his failure to appear before the court in a contempt case related to PTI President Parvez Elahi’s arrest.
On September 1, the Islamabad police had re-arrested Elahi near his residence soon after the LHC set him free and issued a restraining order against his possible arrest by any agency or preventive detention.
After the re-arrest, the PTI president’s wife, Qaisara Elahi, filed two pleas in the LHC, seeking directions for relevant authorities to present him in court and contempt proceedings against Punjab police officials on the grounds of “wilful disobedience”.
On Sept 4, the LHC issued a show-cause notice for contempt of court to IGP Khan while hearing the plea for Parvez’s production in court. A day later, the LHC further directed him to appear before the court in a personal capacity on Sept 6 along with Elahi.
But during the Sept 6 hearing, the Islamabad advocate general informed the court that the Islamabad IG could not comply with its directive as he had to appear before the Supreme Court.
Subsequently, LHC Justice Mirza Waqas Rauf resumed hearing the contempt plea today.
According to today’s court order, the Islamabad IGP was not in attendance despite a notice being issued to him.
Hence, the court ruled that a bailable warrant was to be issued for his arrest “in the sum of Rs50,000 executable through the superintendent of police concerned returnable to the learned sessions judge, Islamabad”.
The order said respondents had filed their replies in the case while the Punjab police chief had also submitted his report as per the LHC’s Sept 4 order.
The petitioner’s counsel wanted to go through the report and permission for that had been granted, the order added.
The hearing was adjourned till Sept 18.
