An anti-corruption court in Lahore on Sunday rejected the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment’s plea seeking physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi in the Punjab Assembly illegal recruitments case.
Judicial Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Virk sent the former Punjab chief minister to jail on a 14-day judicial remand.
Earlier in the day, the former Punjab chief minister, who was taken into custody by ACE officials for allegedly making illegal appointments in Punjab Assembly, was presented in the Lahore court amid strict security earlier.
The Punjab ACE arrested the former chief minister for a third time on Saturday, after a local court in Gujranwala granted him relief in two corruption cases.
On Sunday, the ACE officials produced Elahi in a district kachehri court in the provincial capital, while Rana Intezar, who is the president of the Lahore Bar Association, represented him in the case.
Speaking to reporters in the district kacheri, Elahi said it doesn’t matter how many cases are booked against him. “Even if ten or hundred cases are booked, it doesn’t matter.” Addressing PTI leaders, workers and supporters, the former Punjab chief minister urged fighting with “absolute courage” and told them not to worry at all.
“You are at the forefront of the war for rights, truth, religion, and Pakistan. Hang in there and fight on,” Elahi said.
In his bid to refute the allegations against him in the cases, the PTI president said that the government will gain nothing out of their lies.
According to the details provided by an ACE spokesperson, Elahi made 12 illegal recruitments in Punjab Assembly on 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.
