Rs70m corruption case: PTI president Elahi arrested, finally

LAHORE: The Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) on Thursday arrested Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Pervaiz Elahi outside his home in Lahore. The former Punjab chief minister was taken into custody by the anti-corruption personnel after pulling over his car near Zahoor Elahi’s residence in Lahore’s Gulberg area.

After taking him into custody, the former Punjab chief minister was shifted to the ACE headquarters. “Pervaiz Elahi was wanted by police in several cases. This is the Anti-Corruption Establishment’s case in which his bail was rejected,” said Punjab Minister for Information Amir Mir. He said he (Pervaiz Elahi) was in his vehicle and “trying to flee” when he was arrested. “He has been arrested from the Zahoor Elahi Road. He was arrested while trying to flee,” the minister said.

“Several raids were carried out at his residence. He was wanted. Today, out of the blue, a couple of bullet-proof cars came out [of the house]. He was in one of them.”

Amir Mir said that law enforcers tried to stop and check the bullet-proof cars at a check-post. The minister said the former chief minister resisted the arrest and was not opening the door of his bullet-proof vehicle, therefore, the law enforcers had to break the side mirror of his vehicle. “After resistance, there was an attempt to break the car’s window on the driver’s side. Pervaiz Elahi sb was inside the car,” he said.

Earlier, a special judge of an anti-corruption court in Lahore issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the former Punjab CM, ordering authorities to produce him by June 2. Two arrest warrants have been issued for the PTI leader. The first one was issued on May 25 after the cancellation of bail while the second one on May 26. An anti-corruption team earlier had also reached his residence for arrest. However, he could not be arrested.

The Punjab Police and Elite Force had cordoned off the locality around Elahi’s residence, banning exit and entry points to the house. His arrest was required in the Rs70 million corruption case related to the embezzlement of development funds allocated for the Gujrat district.

In April, the ACE Gujranwala had filed a case against PTI president citing a source report, in which the former Punjab CM was accused of taking a bribe of Rs2 billion for the contract of a development scheme.

In another case, an FIR No 6/23 was registered against Perviaz Elahi for taking bribe of Rs120 million from an international organisation/Turkish company.

The anti-corruption court judge also declared Elahi’s medical certificate as bogus which claimed that he had been experiencing chest pain.

The PTI leader’s spokesperson said Elahi’s son Rasikh and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PMLQ) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain’s sister were also present with him during the arrest.Moonis Elahi, the PTI president’s son who is active in politics and played a key role in convincing his father to join the PTI ranks, said his father was arrested in a fake case. Moonis said his father and mother had already asked them to support the PTI even if they were arrested.

Meanwhile, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan Chaudhry Qamar Zaman Kaira, reacting to the arrest, said that Elahi will surely reap the fruit of his deeds.

“His leader [Imran Khan] used to call him the biggest corrupt and dacoit; now he has the certificate from his very own leader Imran Khan. This government also considers him as such, then he will have to clarify himself. During his tenure, people were arrested, but today it was his turn.”