Amraiz Khan Lahore
A court in the city on Wednesday granted interim bail to Moonis Ealhi the PML-Q leader and son of Speaker Punjab Assembly Pervaiz Elahi in a money laundering case. The court directed the accused to deposit a surety bond worth 0.5 million also.
It is worth mentioning here that the Federal Investigations Agency on June 14 had registered a case against Moonis Ealhi on the charges of money laundering. Banking Court Judge, Aslam Gondal passed the orders after hearing arguments of the counsels of Moonis Elahi and granted him bail till July 4.
Advocate Amjad Pervez, who represents PM Shehbaz Sharif in the money laundering and other cases appeared as counsel of Elahi besides Advocate Amir Saeed Rawn. Ealhi’s counsel argued that his client has nothing to do with the allegations of money laundering and said that case was politically motivated. He said the process of law was always used as a weapon to victimize the opponents and it had been continuing since colonial rule in the region.
“The various regimes made the petitioner and his elders as victims of misuse of law,” said the petitioner, adding that Moonis and his family members were dragged to face frivolous litigations in the past but every time no evidence of corruption or misuse of power or gains through illegal means was found. His counsel was of the view that there was a culture of political victimization in the country and the above said case was also part of that culture.
The petitioner said the present case was the latest example of that victimization on political grounds, pointing out that he and his family were facing allegations of assets beyond their means. Elahi said that he and his family were innocent and the case filed against them were baseless and fabricated, and was registered on mala fide intentions. “Me and my family are being harassed in this case to muffle our voice against the government,” said Moonis through his counsel in the court. The petitioner said that viewing the case in the background of the political crisis showed that it was registered against him to achieve certain motives.
