In a twist of fate, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Parvez Elahi found himself back in custody shortly after being discharged in a case related to irregularities in the Lahore Master Plan 2050 project.
This development was confirmed by his counsel, Rana Intezar Hussain.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the anti-corruption court (ATC) judge initially discharged Elahi in the graft case and ordered his release, as reported by his lawyer.
However, in a surprising turn of events, Elahi, a close aide of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, was rearrested, this time in connection with a terrorism case.
He was being transferred to Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, according to his legal representative.
This rearrest followed Elahi’s appearance before the duty judicial magistrate a day after he was initially taken into custody by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) in a case related to the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) attack. He had been granted bail in that case on Friday.
The duty magistrate approved ACE’s request for the remand of Elahi.
Elahi, the former Punjab chief minister, faces a total of four corruption cases, according to ACE officials.
His arrest outside the Adiala jail on Saturday was reportedly related to the Lahore Master Plan corruption case. The ACE accused Elahi of manipulating the Lahore Master Plan project for personal financial gain.
It was alleged that he attempted to include his own lands in Lahore by altering the plan through the forgery of seals and monograms of the consulting firm involved.
Elahi’s lawyer, Sardar Abdul Razzaq, confirmed his arrest and clarified that an anti-corruption case had indeed been registered in Punjab. Razzaq also stated that Elahi’s bail amount had not been paid yet, and he was re-arrested in another case shortly after his initial discharge.
Razzaq expressed frustration, mentioning that this marked Elahi’s 12th arrest.
