ISLAMABAD: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), on Monday, granted the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), Punjab, one-day transit remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Pervaiz Elahi.
The ATC judge, Abul Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain, while hearing the case, sent Elahi in a terrorism case registered for an alleged attack on the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) to jail and ordered his legal team to submit surety bonds as the same court had granted bail to PTI president in the same case.
However, at the same time court granted the ACE, Punjab, one-day transit remand of Elahi in another case registered against him.
The ACE, Punjab, on September 16, obtained a one-day transit remand of Elahi in a corruption case. Elahi was shifted from Adiala Jail to Lahore.
On September 17, the PTI president was presented before a judicial magistrate to secure his physical remand.
However, the court discharged him in the case of alleged corruption in the Lahore Master Plan, 2050. Following the court’s order, Elahi was gain shifted from Lahore to Adiala jail to be produced before the ATC in the FJC attack case.
The ACE re-arrested him after the court discharged him in the previous case.
During the hearing, Elahi came to the rostrum and said that ACE shifted him from Islamabad to Lahore Saturday. They did not allow me to meet with my family members, he said.
The judge told Elahi’s lawyer that you have not submitted the surety bonds. To this, Elahi’s lawyer Sardar Abdul Razzaq said that we had to submit surety bonds today (Monday). The court sent Elahi to jail.
Meanwhile, the ACE Punjab filed an application before the ATC to obtain transit remand of Elahi as they arrested him in another case. The court granted one-day transit of Elahi to the ACE.
During the hearing, the judge remarked that the ACE official requested for provision of transit remand.
Elahi’s lawyer told the court that his client had been accused of recruiting employees from his staff. Can the chief minister not appoint his secretary? the lawyer asked.
He said that the chief minister has the authority to appoint his own staff.
How is appointing a person namely, Muhammad Khan as personal secretary misuse of authority? he said.
Elahi’s lawyer said that Director General (DG) anti-corruption made the case last night.
The Lahore High Court (LHC) had said that they should not arrest Elahi, then how are they arresting him? the lawyer asked.
Elahi told the court that the LHC asked Sunday, if there was any other case against him. The ACE official told the court that there was no other case against him, he said. The court, after hearing the arguments, handed over Elahi on one-day transit remand and issued directives to produce him before the relevant court.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023