LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) president Pervez Elahi on Friday claimed innocence, saying he was a “supporter” of the Pakistan Army, urging party supporters to remain strong.
The former Punjab Chief Minister made these remarks today when he was produced in the court.
The Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) had arrested Parvez Elahi a day earlier in connection with a case of corruption of Rs 70 million in development funds allocated for Gujarat district – in which he was denied bail.
Speaking to reporters before the appearance, Elahi said: “I am innocent and a supporter of Pakistan Army.”
In his message to party workers and supporters, the former chief minister urged them to “stay strong”.
Speaking to JEE News, Elahi (without naming anyone) took a jibe at former party leaders who announced their separation from Imran Khan, saying he would not hold a press conference.
Elahi reminded that he did not make any political case against anyone and blamed Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi for his current situation.
Naqvi has done injustice to me.
Judicial Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza reserved the verdict after hearing the case of former Punjab Chief Minister, where ACE requested the court for his 14-day physical remand.
During the hearing, Elahi’s counsel, Advocate Rana Intizar, told the court that all the documents related to the projects are there.
“The anti-corruption watchdog is introducing its own law under which the judges who will hear the cases will be at their discretion,” the council said, adding that the payment of Rs 360 million on January 17, 2023 would be It was done when Naqvi was the Chief Minister.
The Case
It should be noted that two cases have been registered against the former chief minister of Punjab in Gujranwala on the charge of taking kickbacks in awarding contracts, while one case has been registered against the former chief minister in Lahore.
Earlier, a special anti-corruption court judge in Lahore issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Elahi and ordered the authorities to produce him by June 2. Two arrest warrants have been issued for the PTI leader. The first was released on May 25 after cancellation of bail while the second was released on May 26.
In April, ACE Gujranwala filed a case against the PTI president, citing a source-based report, which accused the former Punjab chief minister of accepting a bribe of Rs 2 billion for a contract for a development scheme. .
In another case, an FIR No. 6/23 was registered against Elahi for accepting a bribe of Rs 120 million from an international organization – a Turkish company.
The anti-corruption court judge also dismissed Elahi’s medical certificate, which claimed he had chest pain, as bogus.
