LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday sought final arguments from the counsel for former chief minister Parvez Elahi challenging his detention, now ended, under the MPO.

At the outset of the hearing of a petition by Elahi’s wife, Justice Waheed Khan observed that the matter stood infructuous since the detention period of the petitioner’s husband had lapsed.

The judge asked a counsel for the petitioner what if the court disposed of the petition.

The counsel requested the judge to adjourn the hearing saying the lead counsel was not available to present his arguments.

The judge accepted the plea and adjourned the hearing for a date to be fixed later by the registrar office.

Petitioner Qaisera Elahi contended through a counsel that the government issued the detention order of her husband with a mala fide intention only to frustrate his release after he secured bail in all the cases registered against him.

She said an appeal against the detention had been filed before the home department but no decision had been taken so far. She asked the court to declare the detention of Elahi unlawful and order his release.

At a previous hearing, the government’s lawyer told the court that the former chief minister had been detained in the light of a report by the CCPO. He said Elahi was involved in an attack on a team of the ACE.

Remand extended: An anti-terrorism court on Wednesday extended the judicial remand of PTI Senator Ijaz Chaudhry in a case of attack on Shadman police station during the May 9 protests.

The investigating officer sought more time to submit a complete challan against the suspect.

Judge Ejaz Ahmad Buttar adjourned the hearing till Aug Sept 5 and also extended the judicial remand of the senator.

Separately, the Lahore High Court adjourned a petition seeking better class for Senator Ijaz Chaudhry in jail.

The court postponed the hearing till Aug 28 due to unavailability of the caretaker government’s lawyer.

Senator’s wife Salma Ijaz filed the petition saying her husband was an elderly person with a medical history. She said the PTI leader was on judicial remand in cases related to the May 9 events.

She pleaded that the home department dismissed an application for the provision of better class to her husband without any valid reason. She said the senator was eligible to be granted better class in the jail.She asked the court to order the jail officials to provide the PTI leader all facilities he was entitled to under the law.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2023