LAHORE: A Lahore court on Saturday extended Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Parvez Elahi's physical remand in the illegal appointments case for two days.
The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) had requested a 12-day physical remand of the former Punjab chief minister after presenting him before the kachehri court after completion of a two-day physical remand given previously.
Elahi is among several PTI leaders and workers who had been arrested amid the state’s crackdown on the PTI leadership following the violent riots in the country after party chairman Imran Khan's first arrest on May 9. Later, he was arrested multiple times again after multiple other cases including the illegal appointments cases were opened against him.
"Further interrogation of Elahi is required," the ACE officials informed the court while seeking a 12-day extension in his physical remand.
At this, Elahi's lawyer opposed ACE's request, maintaining that Rs3-4 million held no value for the PTI president and he hadn't accepted any money from anyone for "illegal appointments".
The lawyer asked the time and date when the ACE had taken Elahi to his home for the recovery of Rs4.1 million rupees as stated in the supplementary document.
He argued that the document does not mention the time and departure from the police station.
Meanwhile, Elahi speaking from the court's rostrum, claimed that the ACE didn't make any recovery from his home as stated by the body's officials.
He said that he spent last night sleeping at the ACE office and no one came to him during that time.
"I have only come to know after appearing in the court that the ACE has made a recovery," Elahi said, alleging that all the officials were only trying to "get their jobs permanent".
He said that he had been given the most employment.
At this, the court asked the ACE investigation officer (IO) about Elahi's claims of not being taken anywhere.
To which, the IO replied that "all the accused say the same", but they had taken Elahi to his house last night.
After this, the court gave the order of extension in his remand while reading the verdict reserved by Judicial Magistrate Imran Abid on the ACE's request for an extension.
The ACE officials then took the former Punjab CM with them from the court.
It may be noted that Elahi has been arrested multiple times since June 1 in several cases, with the latest to be made on September 18 the Punjab ACE.
The body alleged that the appointment of Muhammad Khan Bhatti as his principal secretary during his time as the CM was not in accordance with the law.
According to the details provided by an ACE spokesperson, Elahi made 12 illegal recruitments in the Punjab Assembly on grade 17 positions.
The candidates were recruited in the provincial assembly by altering the records.
"The illegal recruitments were made through fake testing services," said the spokesperson.
He said that the investigation by the ACE proved that fake recruitments were made in the Punjab Assembly.
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