Elahi finds himself behind bars again

PTI president re-arrested after ATC releases him in Lahore Master Plan case

LAHORE:

PTI president and former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi on Sunday was arrested again after an anti-terrorism court in Lahore ordered his release while discharging him in a case of irregularities in the Lahore Master Plan 2050.

He was held in a terrorism case and transferred to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi from Lahore.

Elahi's counsel Sardar Abdul Razzaq told The Express Tribune that the PTI leader had been rounded up at least 12 times since June 1 following the May 9 protests, which broke out across the nation after party chairman and deposed premier Imran Khan's arrest.

He was presented in the court on Sunday following his arrest by the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) in Rawalpindi a day earlier seeking his physical remand. The ACE had taken him into custody shortly after being released from Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail.

Rana Intezar Hussain, the president of the Lahore Bar Association, appeared in court on behalf of the former Punjab chef minister.

The court earlier reserved its decision on the ACE’s request. It later dismissed the request, discharging PTI president in the case.

“Prima facie, no incriminating material is available against the accused which can connect him with the commission of the alleged offence. Hence, the accused person namely Chaudhry Parvez Elahi is hereby discharged in this case,” the judgment read.

The court instructed the authorities to immediately release Elahi if he was not needed in any other case.

On Saturday, Elahi was arrested again shortly after being released from Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail and produced in a local court in Islamabad where he was granted a one-day transit remand at the request of the anti-corruption authorities. The court ordered that they should produce him before the concerned court by Sunday.

Razzaq said Elahi would be transferred to Lahore on his transit remand.

The development came a day after an anti-terrorism court approved Elahi’s bail in the May 9 Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) riot case.

ATC Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain granted bail to the PTI president against surety bonds worth Rs20,000, ordering his release.

The court remarked that the prosecution failed to find any evidence against Elahi during his lengthy remand and that the former Punjab chief minister should not be investigated further.

The beleaguered politician has multiple cases pending in different courts and remains embroiled in a legal rigmarole with the authorities arresting him in new or previously undisclosed cases each time he manages to acquire bail.