Lahore – A sessions court has overturned a decision by a judicial magistrate to deny physical remand and acquit former Chief Minister Parvez Elahi in a case involving alleged misappropriation in development projects. The court allowed an appeal filed by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) and directed the establishment to present Mr. Elahi before the magistrate on June 13 to seek physical remand for further investigation.
Additional District & Sessions Judge Saima Riasat, in her order, stated, “Copy of this order be sent to learned Area Magistrate and concerned authorities for intimation and compliance.”
The ACE had argued that the magistrate’s previous decision to deny physical remand and acquit Mr. Elahi was unlawful. The agency emphasized that the suspect should be remanded for an investigation into the alleged misappropriation.
The caretaker government also expressed dissatisfaction with the magistrate’s ruling and announced its intention to file an appeal against the decision. Presently, Parvez Elahi is under judicial remand in another case related to alleged illegal appointments in the Punjab Assembly. His bail petition, in that case, is pending before a special court for anti-corruption.
The special court is scheduled to resume the hearing on June 13, as the investigating officer failed to produce the case records during the two previous hearings. According to the ACE, the case regarding illegal appointments alleges that Mr. Elahi recruited 12 Grade-17 officers in the Punjab Assembly based on political considerations rather than merit. The appointed candidates were reportedly from Gujrat and Mandi Bahauddin, which are the political constituencies of the Chaudhrys.
In a separate development, a special court for banking offenses granted interim pre-arrest bail to Rasikh Elahi, son of Parvez Elahi, and his wife Zara Elahi, as well as Tehreem Elahi, the wife of Moonis Elahi. The bail was granted in a case pertaining to alleged money laundering, initiated by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
The counsel representing the petitioners argued that the FIA had registered the case solely for political victimization, emphasizing that it was baseless and driven by a desire for political revenge. The counsel further mentioned that a previous money laundering case with the same charges had already been quashed by the high court.
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The petitioners expressed their willingness to cooperate with the investigation to prove their innocence, but they raised concerns about the potential arrest. Judge Aslam Gondal granted the petitioners pre-arrest bail until June 16 and summoned the case records from the FIA for further review.
Last week, the FIA submitted a report to the Lahore High Court, alleging that Rasikh Elahi, Zara Elahi, and Tehreem Elahi had engaged in money laundering through Qaiser Iqbal Bhatti, a low-ranking employee of the Punjab Assembly. The report claimed that significant transactions had taken place in the accounts of both the employee and the children of Parvez Elahi, and it raised suspicions about the source of the assets belonging to the employee.
The FIA claimed that despite being given call-up letters to appear before the investigative team, the petitioners had refused to do so. The report further alleged that Qaiser Iqbal Bhatti had been involved in transactions amounting to Rs175 million that lacked explanation or justification.
The FIA emphasized that this inquiry was separate from any previous investigations, as it focused on a government servant, specifically the assembly’s peon.
As the legal proceedings continue, it remains essential for all parties involved to uphold the principles of justice, fairness, and transparency. The court’s decision to order physical remand and grant pre-arrest bail reflects the ongoing efforts to thoroughly investigate the allegations and ensure a fair legal process.
