Imran's most trusted aide Pervez Elahi arrested; PTI says 'Pak regime's fascism shameful'

Another heavyweight from former Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Tehreek-i-Insaf party, President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was arrested by the Islamabad Police outside his Zahoor Elahi residence in Lahore, his spokesperson Iqbal Chaudhry said in a voice note shared with Pakistan based newspaper Dawn. According to the visuals shared on Twitter by Khan’s PTI party, Elahi was arbitrarily detained as he was leaving his house. Authorities had also “misbehaved” with women accompanying Elahi, the spokesman claimed in the audio statement. 

A district and sessions court in Lahore issued a non-bailable arrest of the former chief minister of Punjab and president of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), last week. The warrant was issued at the request of an investigating officer (IO). It was alleged that Elahi had been “avoiding arrest” and had been evading the Islamabad police for weeks. Reportedly, the cops in Pakistan have attempted to arrest the former chief minister of Punjab “several times” over the past few days before the neighbouring country plunged into a political crisis following the detention of ex-Pakistan premier Imran Khan. 

"Shameful how the regime doesn't stop their fascism. The inflation has skyrocketed to 38%, and their response is arresting former CM Punjab Parvez Elahi. Absolutely ridiculous!" PTI tweeted sharing visuals of the 77-year-old leader seen dragged by security personnel from his residence. 

Shameful how the regime doesn’t stop their fascism. The inflation has skyrocketed to 38%, and their response is arresting former CM Punjab Parvez Elahi. Absolutely ridiculous! pic.twitter.com/epfQxGm47e

— PTI (@PTIofficial)

'Standing with Imran Khan': Elahi in video 

On Thursday, Pakistan’s police raided Elahi’s Lahore residence at least twice after an Anti-Corruption Court dismissed his pre-arrest bail in the corruption case. The PTI President is accused of financial irregularities with respect to the development projects that he had launched during his term as the Punjab chief minister. Police, since then, has been unable to arrest him as he was not available and had been missing. 

“The pre-arrest bail of the accused was dismissed due to non-prosecution vide order dated May 25 and he is not appearing before the court and also not joining the investigation. In view of the request of the IO, let non-bailable arrest warrants of accused Chaudhry Parvez Elahi be issued for June 2, 2023,” the warrant issued at the request of an investigating officer (IO), reportedly read. 

Screengrab of Parvez Elahi's arrest from outside his Lahore residence. Credit: Twitter/PTIOfficial

ہم عمران خان صاحب کے ساتھ کھڑے ہیں ۔ pic.twitter.com/H18boqtkM9

— Ch Parvez Elahi (@ChParvezElahi)

Amid the political tussle, Elahi’s lawyer Asim Chaudhry was quoted saying that the police had wrongfully entered his client’s Lahore home without a search warrant. He had noted that the bail was rejected because the medical report Elahi submitted turned out to be fake. “We are now challenging the report,” the lawyer was quoted as saying. In a video message, last week, Elahi reaffirmed his commitment and support for the PTI chief Imran Khan amid the wave of resignations in the party. “Moonis and I are standing with Imran Khan together, but that doesn’t mean we support his narrative,” Elahi said in the video. In a positive stance towards the country’s army, Elahi noted, “I have always tried to keep good ties with the establishment and the judiciary. There are no two thoughts on it.”