LAHORE: Parvez Elahi, the President of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), finds himself in another legal entanglement as the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab detained him on Saturday. This detention comes just a day after he was granted bail by an anti-terrorism court in the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) attack case.
ACE officials took Parvez Elahi, the former chief minister of Punjab, to the judicial complex for a temporary remand. Later in the evening, he is expected to be transferred to the ACE headquarters in Lahore.
Elahi is facing four corruption cases, as confirmed by officials.
A day prior, the PTI President was granted bail in the judicial complex attack case by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad. ATC Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain approved Elahi’s bail, requiring a surety bond of Rs20,000, which Elahi’s legal team failed to pay. Consequently, the Anti-corruption Establishment (ACE) arrested him at the Adiala jail.
Remarkably, this arrest comes shortly after Elahi’s release from the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on September 1, despite explicit instructions from the Lahore High Court (LHC) prohibiting his arrest earlier that same day. Similar orders from the high court had already been issued on July 13, 2023. Parvez Elahi has experienced multiple arrests and detentions since the May 9 riots.
Sources suggest that Elahi’s current transitory remand to Lahore was approved by duty judge Shahrukh Arjumand immediately after his arrest. The court has also ordered his appearance before the relevant court by tomorrow (Sunday).
Speaking to the media, Parvez Elahi’s counsel, Sardar Abdul Razzaq, emphasized that no corruption case has been registered against his client in Punjab. Razzaq further pointed out that Elahi’s bail amount had not been paid before he was re-arrested in another case, making this his 12th arrest.
An ACE spokesperson revealed that Parvez Elahi was arrested in connection with the Lahore Master Plan 2050 corruption case, stating that he was apprehended in Rawalpindi. According to the spokesperson, Elahi allegedly engaged in fraudulent activities for personal financial gain within the project. He is accused of manipulating the plan by attempting to merge his lands in Lahore and using fake seals, monograms, and documents to alter the Master Plan.
The spokesperson added that these actions were intended to convert agricultural land into commercial and residential properties, potentially generating billions of rupees. Parvez Elahi is alleged to have misused his authority to secure approval for the project from relevant officials. A case has been registered against him in Lahore for forgery related to the Master Plan.
Read more: Parvez Elahi Granted Bail in Judicial Complex Vandalism Case
The ACE spokesperson concluded by affirming that all individuals implicated in the Lahore Master Plan case will be apprehended and brought to justice.
