Elahi skeptical of talks with PML-N

Courts confirm Elahi’s bail in multiple cases

LAHORE:

Former Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi is not optimistic about the negotiations between the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

In his recent interview with The Express Tribune, he stated that his long political experience has taught him that negotiations do not bear any fruit when the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is involved.

Elahi went on to say that while the PTI has good intentions, he does not see the same in the PML-N camp. He also criticised the PML-N's tactics of registering FIRs and arresting political workers during negotiations, calling it an old technique to keep negotiators under pressure. However, he remains confident that this time, they will not succeed.

When asked about the possibility of elections, Elahi replied that he is waiting for the Supreme Court's (SC) decision. He assured the interviewer that they would accept the top court's ruling.

The interview with Elahi came as he faced charges of corruption. In one FIR, the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) accused him and seven others of awarding development projects to favoured companies and contractors, resulting in losses of over Rs1 billion. In another FIR, the same agency accused Elahi and others of receiving kickbacks of Rs125 million through the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) from a foreign company.

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Despite these charges, Elahi was granted protective bail by the Lahore High Court (LHC) until May 6. His counsel argued that Elahi wanted to appear before the relevant court but feared being arrested by the police. The LHC granted protective bail until next Saturday.

Earlier in the day, an anti-corruption court confirmed Elahi's pre-arrest bail in the alleged Rs125 million corruption case. The court directed him to submit surety bonds of Rs1,000,000. Elahi's counsel had sought exemption from his client's personal appearance, citing health issues. He was also granted pre-arrest bail till May 11 in another FIR registered by Punjab ACE.