Elahi indicted in forest land case

RAWALPINDI:

An accountability court in Rawalpindi on Tuesday indicted former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi and 13 other accused in a reference alleging the illegal transfer of 1,170 kanals of government forest land in Rawat's Takht Pari area to a private housing society.

Special Accountability Court Judge Sheikh Ejaz Ali framed the indictment.

All 14 accused pleaded not guilty, rejected the charges and described the reference as false and politically motivated, vowing to prove their innocence during the trial.

The court issued notices to the NAB's investigation team and summoned 10 government witnesses for the next hearing on June 16.