LAHORE: Former principal secretary of Punjab’s ex-chief minister Chaudhary Pervez Elahi, Muhammad Khan Bhatti, was arrested again on Tuesday.
This time, it was the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab who detained him, shortly after he was granted bail in a separate case by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). Bhatti, known to be a close aide of the former chief minister, was taken into custody by ACE officials outside Camp Jail as he was released on bail in the FIA case.
According to ACE officials, Bhatti has been charged with alleged corruption and receiving kickbacks worth Rs178 million for awarding a road construction project in Mandi Bahauddin. Bhatti was arrested last month from Quetta, where he was allegedly trying to flee the country via the Balochistan-Iran border. He is accused of accepting bribes worth Rs460 million for transfers and appointments during his tenure as the principal secretary of the former chief minister.
The arrest of Muhammad Khan Bhatti is the latest development in a long-standing investigation into corruption and nepotism allegations against the former Punjab chief minister, Chaudhary Pervez Elahi, and his aides. Bhatti’s arrest is particularly significant as he has been one of Elahi’s closest aides and was a key figure in the former chief minister’s administration.
Bhatti’s arrest also comes in the context of a broader political environment in which opposition parties in Pakistan have accused the government of using state institutions to suppress dissent and target political opponents.
Bhatti’s wife has filed petitions in various courts, alleging that her husband is being subjected to victimization by the government headed by rival political parties.
