Elahi says Privileges Committee cannot summon any judge

Former Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi claimed on Thursday that the Privileges Committee could neither summon a judge, nor bring their matters under focus.

The former CM made the comments in reference to Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto’s speech in the National Assembly a day earlier where he unleashed trenchant criticism against apex court judges, terming their order on funds for Punjab polls an “insult to the parliament”.

FM Bilawal stated that the time had come to draw a line, adding that the privilege of parliament had been violated therefore, the matter should now be taken up in the House Privileges Committee.

Talking to the media after attending the proceedings of his pre-arrest bail plea in an alleged corruption case, Elahi also lambasted the Sharif family.

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“The PML-N does politics of revenge,” he said, adding that “their [PML-N’s] entire politics relies upon political victimization.”

The former chief minister furthered that he had been in power but he did not register any case against PML-N leaders. "However, the present caretaker setup broke all records by registering false cases against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its leadership," Elahi maintained.

Moreover, he stated that his decision of joining the former ruling party was correct.

Case proceedings

During today's proceedings, anti-corruption court Judge Ali Raza reserved decision on Elahi's pre-arrest bail plea by extending it till April 28 in an alleged Rs125 million corruption case.

It is pertinent to note that Punjab anti-corruption department registered an FIR against Elahi, his son Moonis Elahi, Muhammad Khan Bhatti and others, for receiving Rs125 million in kickbacks through the Lahore Waste Management Company from a foreign company against a payable amount.

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Out of the Rs125 millon, kickbacks worth Rs65 million were taken by Elahi, while the rest were shared between the others. The department claimed to have registered a first information report (FIR) against the accused persons on substantial evidence.

As proceedings commenced, Elahi’s counsel Amjad Pervez told the anti-corruption that the case registered against his clients was “false and fabricated".

A court had discharged the main accused in this case while another accused Muhammad Khan Bhatti had also been discharged, he added.

After hearing detailed arguments, the judge reserved the decision.