- ACE seeks 12-day extension in PTI chairman’s physical custody.
- Judicial Magistrate Imran Abid delivered the verdict on ACE’s petition.
- ACE alleges that the former Punjab CM appointed his Principal Secretary illegally.
LAHORE: A local court in Lahore on Saturday approved a two-day extension in the physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Pervez Elahi, who is lodged in Adiala jail in a case related to illegal appointments.
The former Punjab chief minister was sent to jail on September 19 after the court sent him to 14-day judicial custody in the case.
Elahi is among several PTI leaders and activists arrested during the state crackdown on the PTI leadership following violent riots that rocked the country following the first arrest of party president Imran Khan on May 9. Later, he was arrested several times following several other cases. Many cases including illegal appointments were opened against him.
Reading out the judgment reserved by Judicial Magistrate Imran Abid on the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE)’s demand for 12-day remand, the court today ordered extension of his remand period.
Earlier, Ilahi was presented in the court after completion of the two-day physical remand given earlier.
“Further interrogation of Elahi is required,” ACE officials informed the court, seeking a 12-day extension in physical remand.
To this, Elahi’s lawyer opposed ACE’s request and said that Rs 3-4 million had no value for the PTI chairman and he had not accepted any money from anyone for “illegal appointments”.
illegal recruitment case
It may be noted that Elahi has been arrested multiple times in various cases since June 1, with the latest being the Punjab ACE on September 18.
The organization alleged that the appointment of Muhammad Khan Bhatti as Principal Secretary while he was the Chief Minister was not in accordance with the law.
According to details provided by the ACE spokesperson, Ilahi made 12 illegal recruitments on Grade 17 posts in the Punjab Assembly.
Candidates were recruited by changing the records in the Provincial Assembly.
“The illegal recruitments were done through fake testing services,” the spokesperson said.
He said that the investigation of ACE has proved that fake recruitments were done in the Punjab Assembly.
