Elahi arrested again despite getting bail in graft case
The Anti-corruption Establishment (ACE) rearrested PTI President Pervez Elahi from outside a Lahore court moments after he got discharged in the graft case, sources said on Friday. Sources said the anti-corruption watchdog would shift the PTI leader to Gujranwala directorate as he had been wanted in another case lodged in the city. Meanwhile, ACE Director General Suhail Zafar Chatha said the department would move the court against the verdict announced by the Lahore court. “The verdict has been announced in contrast to the merit,” he added. Earlier, the court had ordered the release of the PTI leader if he had not been wanted in any other case. Judicial magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Virk announced the verdict which was reserved earlier. Mr Elahi was brought to court in an armoured vehicle amid tight security while his family members, including son Rasikh Elahi, were present in the court.
The anti-corruption team has sought 14-day physical remand of the senior politician in order to interrogate him in the case. The judge announced the decision after hearing arguments from both sides.
Speaking to media outside the court, the former Punjab chief minister said he was innocent and a “supporter of Pakistan Army”. In a message to the party workers, he asked them to stand firm and did not lose courage. Earlier, a Lahore district court has reserved its verdict on the Anti-corruption Establishment’s (ACE) plea seeking a 14-day physical remand of Elahi in a corruption case. During the hearing presided by Judicial Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza government counsel Ghulam Salahuddin asserted that the remand was required as further investigation was needed to be conducted from Elahi. Meanwhile, Elahi’s counsel Advocate Rana Intizar argued that none of the “fake and bogus documents” that his client had allegedly prepared were presented to the court. Meanwhile talking informally to reporters at a Lahore district court, PTI President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi has reiterated that he is in the party and will remain in it. He said, “I will not hold any conference. The root of all this disturbance is Mohsin Naqvi. I did not make any political cases against anyone. The one having this atrocity done to me is Mohsin Naqvi.” “God-willing, I am in the PTI and will remain in it. They (the government) are doing evil and will suffer the same,” he added.