LAHORE: A judicial magistrate on Tuesday denied physical remand of PTI president and former chief minister Punjab Chaudhry Pervez Elahi to Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Lahore in two cases of illegal appointments in Punjab Assembly (PA) and sent him back to Adiala Jail.

The police cordoned off the district courts and did not allow the reporters to cover the court proceedings.

Earlier, the counsel of Pervez Elahi objected to the arguments of additional prosecutor general for ACE and said only designated prosecutors of the ACE were eligible to argue in the case. He said the prosecutors would also face cases after the change of government.

At this, the prosecutor asked the magistrate to take notice of the threatening behavior of the defence counsel. He however assured the court to present an authority letter of the ACE about his appointment in the case.

The prosecutor said the charges against the suspects were serious and his physical remand was crucial for investigation and recovery of millions of rupees received as kickbacks. He said the PTI president was being politically victimized for not leaving his party.

The defence counsel opposed the remand saying the Lahore High Court had already granted protective bail to Pervez Elahi in the case wherein the ACE was asking for his remand.

The magistrate inclining with the counsel of Pervez Elahi rejected the plea of ACE for further remand of Pervez Elahi. The magistrate sent Elahi back to Adiala jail on judicial remand.

Meanwhile, a division bench of the Lahore High Court on Tuesday disposed of an appeal of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) challenging a single bench’s order restraining the arrest of former chief minister Pervez Elahi in any undisclosed case or inquiry. The bench observed that the NAB was not aggrieved of the impugned order passed on the petition of Elahi since it did not issue any specific direction to NAB.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023