LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) president Parvez Elahi was re-arrested in yet another corruption case on Friday after being released on the orders of the Lahore Anti-Corruption Court.
Earlier, the PTI president vowed to stand by his party as he was produced in an anti-corruption court on Friday following his dramatic arrest a day earlier.
Elahi was arrested by the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) in connection with a Rs 70 million corruption case related to embezzlement of development funds earmarked for Gujarat district – in which he was denied bail.
Various corruption cases have been registered against the former Punjab Chief Minister, who is accused of receiving kickbacks for several government development projects during his tenure.
Elahi – speaking to reporters ahead of his hearing – said: “I am innocent and a supporter of the Pakistan Army.”
In his message to party workers and supporters, the former chief minister urged them to remain strong.
In an exclusive conversation with JEE News, Elahi (without naming anyone) took a jibe at former party leaders who announced their separation from Imran Khan, saying that he will not hold a press conference.
Accusing caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Elahi reminded that he has not made any political case against anyone but 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.
According to the details, two cases have been registered against him in Gujranwala for taking kickbacks in awarding contracts, while one case has been registered against the former chief minister in Lahore.
Earlier, the judge of the special anti-corruption court in Lahore issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for the former Punjab chief minister 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 on May 26. However, he could not be arrested.
The Punjab Police and elite force cordoned off the area around Elahi’s residence, barring entry and exit from the house.
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.
