Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party president Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, a close aide of former prime minister Imran Khan, was arrested outside his residence in Lahore on Thursday, Dawn newspaper reported.
The party tweeted: “Shameful how the regime is not stopping its fascism. Inflation has reached 38 and #37, and their reaction is arresting former Punjab CM Parvez Elahi. Absolutely ridiculous!” The party tweeted along with a video showing the 77-year-old leader being dragged from his residence by security personnel.
Elahi’s spokesman alleged that the authorities also “bargained” with the women accompanying Elahi, who had been evading arrest since May 9. On May 26, a district court in Lahore issued a non-bailable warrant for Elahi.
On May 25, the anticipatory bail of the accused was dismissed for non-trial and he is not appearing in court and is not participating in the investigation. Warrant of accused Chaudhry Parvez Elahi be issued for June 2, 2023,” the court order read.
Elahi, who was a close associate of the military dictator General Pervez Musharrafwas appointed as the president of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in March this year after quitting his former party – the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q).
On 9 May, violent protests broke out in Islamabad following the arrest of PTI Chairman Khan by paramilitary Rangers. People vandalized more than 20 military establishments and government buildings, including the Lahore Corps Commander House, Mianwali Airbase and the ISI building in Faisalabad. The army headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi was also attacked by mobs for the first time. Khan was later released on bail.
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After the events of 9 May, several senior leaders of Khan’s party were detained. The leaders included Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhary, Asad Umar, Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Shireen Mazari, Malika Bukhari and Fayazul Hasan Chauhan.
A few days later, several prominent leaders including Fawad, Imran Ismail, Shireen Mazari, Fayazul Hasan Chauhan, Firdous Ashiq Awan and others quit Khan’s party.
Khan, 70, who is facing more than 100 cases ranging from corruption to terrorism, said he sympathized with everyone who was forced to leave the party.
