A Lahore district court on Wednesday sent former chief minister of Punjab Parvez Elahi to jail on a 14-day judicial remand in a money laundering case after the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) took him into custody from district jail earlier today.
Elahi had secured bail from an anti-corruption court in Lahore yesterday but could not be set free as his release orders were not delivered to the prison authorities.
The same day, the FIA booked him, his son Moonis Elahi and three others on charges of money laundering. Subsequently, the agency took the former Punjab chief minister into custody today from the premises of the jail and then presented him in the district court.
Judicial magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Virk presided over today’s hearing where the FIA sought Elahi’s 14-day physical remand.
However, the court rejected the FIA’s request and sent the PTI president to jail on a 14-day judicial remand.
At the outset of the hearing today, the FIA’s counsel argued that there was “solid evidence” against Elahi and that his physical remand was needed to complete the investigation in the case.
Upon the completion of the FIA’s legal team’s arguments, Elahi’s counsel, Advocate Rana Intizar, began presenting his arguments.
He said an inquiry had previously also been conducted in the same case. “Cases are filed to make Parvez Elahi a target of political vendetta, “ the lawyer contended and requested the court discharge his client from the case.
At one point during the hearing, Elahi came to the rostrum and decried the lack of facilities in jails.
“Insects crawl on the floor. No facility is being provided. I was wearing the same clothes at a previous hearing and am wearing the same suit today as well,” he lamented.
Elahi further said that the FIA was not adhering to the court’s order and asked for a contempt of court to be filed against it.
