PML-Q will not accept Parvez Elahi, says Shafay.
GUJRANWALA/LAHORE - Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi was re-arrested in Gujranwala shortly after he was discharged by a court in two corruption cases. Anti-Corruption Establishment spokesperson Abdul Wahid told reporters that the PTI leader was re-arrested in a case pertaining to illegal appointments in the Punjab Assembly.
The ACE spokesperson claimed that Elahi made 12 illegal appointments of grade 17 officers in the Punjab Assembly. “Failed candidates were given jobs by manipulating records in the Punjab Assembly,” Abdul Wahid said. “Fake testing services were used to benefit corrupt officials during the recruitment process.” He further said fake appointments were proven in the anti-corruption inquiry in the Punjab Assembly. “There is clear evidence of corruption in the hiring process.”
This was the second time that the PTI leader was re-arrested by the Punjab Anti- Corruption Establishment (ACE) after a court granted him relief. Minutes before the arrest, a local court had discharged the PTI president in the two corruption cases registered against him in Gujranwala’s anti-corruption police station for allegedly taking kickbacks in the development funds allocated for the construction of roads in Gujrat.
A day earlier, the PTI leader was arrested in a similar fashion outside a Lahore court. The court had ordered release of the PTI leader in connection with a case involving Rs70 million corruption in development funds allocated for the Gujrat district. But, minutes later he was re-arrested in a corruption case registered against him in Gujranwala by the Punjab ACE.
After the arrest, the PTI leader was brought to ACE’s regional office in Gujranwala and presented before Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Afzal.
The investigation team, during the hearing, told the court that two cases were registered against Elahi in Gujranwala’s anti-corruption police station. “Parvez Elahi has been arrested in two cases,” said the investigation team. The team had sought Elahi’s 14-day physical remand for the investigation of cases and recovery of ill-gotten money. The court had then reserved its verdict on the plea.
While announcing the verdict, the court issued the release orders of the PTI leader over “lack of evidence” and rejected the plea for the physical remand.
Speaking to his lawyer, the former Punjab CM said that he was kept in a police station and was not given his medicines. “I took my medicines in the morning with difficulty,” he said, adding that he was not even allowed to use the bathroom.
According to the details provided by an ACE spokesperson, Elahi made 12 illegal recruitments in Punjab Assembly for grade 17 positions.
The candidates were recruited in the provincial assembly by altering the records. “The illegal recruitments were made through fake testing services,” said the spokesperson.
He said that the investigation by the ACE proved that fake recruitments were made in Punjab Assembly, adding that the anti-corruption has also arrested Secretary Rai Mumtaz Hussain in connection with this case on the basis of evidence. Rai Mumtaz was involved in fake recruiting process with Parvez Elahi,” he said.
Meanwhile, Punjab Assembly Secretary Rai Mumtaz Hussain has been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) in a case pertaining to illegal appointments in the provincial assembly, says ACE spokesperson Abdul Wahid. He said Hussain was arrested after the allegations against him were proved.
“He made illegal appointments in the Punjab Assembly in collusion with Parvez Elahi,” the spokesperson added,
Meanwhile, Chaudhry Shafay Hussain, the elder son of Chaudhry Shujat on Saturday clarified that there was no room for Parvez Elahi in Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q).
Talking to journalists outside the Corps Commander House (Jinnah House) in Lahore Shafay said, “Parvez Elahi will be most welcomed if he wants to come as a family [member] but politically, it will be better for him to form his own party.”
“The miscreants burnt everything in Jinnah House,” the PML-Q leader said, adding that those involved in the arson attack at the house should be punished.
