LAHORE:
The Lahore High Court (LHC) has forwarded a petition of PTI leader Chaudhry Pervez Elahi to Chief Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan for assignment to a relevant bench. The decision came after the petitioner’s counsel requested the case be directed to Justice Amjad Rafiq’s court, which is already handling similar cases.
Previously, Justice Shehbaz Rizvi recused himself from the case, prompting the file to be transferred to Chief Justice Khan’s court for reassignment. The plea, seeking access to details of criminal cases, FIRs, and pending inquiries against Elahi, was filed by the petitioner through advocate Amir Saeed Rawn.
In the petition, Elahi urged the court to instruct concerned authorities to provide all relevant case details that remain unresolved, along with copies of the cases. He also raised concerns about his continued illegal detention despite the court’s previous ruling declaring his arrest unlawful.
Furthermore, the petitioner requested protection of his fundamental rights, including the right to liberty and the opportunity for anticipatory protective bail before any arrests in unknown criminal cases. Elahi argued that the concealment of false cases by respondents violates his constitutional rights under Articles 4, 10, 10-A, and 25 of the Constitution of Pakistan.
Elahi emphasized that access to case details is fundamental to due process, as guaranteed under Article 10-A of the Constitution. He asserted that the respondents’ actions aim to unlawfully prolong his detention and deny him the opportunity for legal recourse, constituting a violation of his rights.
