Elahi’s ex-principal secretary booked for corruption

By News Desk

LAHORE: Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) on Sunday registered a case against former chief minister Pervaiz Elahi’s principal secretary Mohammad Khan Bhatti on allegations of bribery, local media reported.

Bhatti is accused of taking more than Rs460 million as bribe from officials of the Punjab Highway Department. SDO Highway Police Rana Muhammad Iqbal has already been arrested on charges of bribery while ACE has also started the process to arrest Bhatti on corruption charges

It is stated in the FIR that Iqbal has given millions of rupees to accused Bhatti to get posts of his choice. “Several officials from the communications and construction departments were working for Muhammad Khan Bhatti,” it added.

The FIR further states that the role of other officials of the department would also be investigated.

The development comes a day after former Punjab chief minister and PMLQ President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi’s driver and gunman were arrested for allegedly carrying liquor bottles in Islamabad.

Police claimed that the accused gave an envelope full of money to Punjab House employee Faheem Mirza in exchange for a briefcase containing liquor bottles on Elahi’s instructions.

Police further said that the accused have also revealed before the magistrate that Faheem and Irshad, the alleged employees of Parliament House Islamabad, are frontmen of the former chief minister.

Both the alleged frontmen are involved in monetary transactions for Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, they claimed. A case has been registered against them at Islamabad’s Secretariat Police Station under various provisions.