LAHORE: An anti-corruption court in Lahore on Sunday reserved its verdict on Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) plea seeking physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi in the Punjab Assembly illegal recruitment case.
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.
The anti-corruption officials sought the former chief minister’s physical remand from the court.
Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Virk reserved his verdict on the plea for the suspect’s physical remand.
According to an ACE spokesperson, the case of the illegal appointments alleges that Elahi recruited 12 Grade-17 officers in the Punjab Assembly against merit.
“He got changed the results of these candidates belonging to Gujrat and Mandi Bahauddin. We have collected evidence and also arrested Secretary Punjab Assembly Rai Mumtaz Hussain in this regard,” he was quoted as saying in Dawn.
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.
