LAHORE, March 10: The Lahore High Court on Thursday allowed interim pre-arrest bail to PML-Q MPA Moonis Elahi, son of former chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, involved in the National Insurance Corporation Limited (NICL) land scam.

Moonis filed two petitions seeking bail and challenging order of the trial court which issued his non-bailable arrest warrants after submission of challan by the investigating agency.

Senior lawyer SM Zafar appeared on behalf of Moonis and pleaded that his client was dragged into the case for mala fide intention as he had no role in the NICL land scam. The counsel said FIA started proceedings against Moonis merely on a statement of his manager Maalick.

He pointed out that Maalick told the FIA that he opened an account on the instruction of Moonis and an amount of Rs220 million was allegedly transferred to it.

He said later Maalick changed his statement but the FIA was still dragging Moonis in the case and submitted challan to trial court without having cogent evidence against him.

Mr Zafar said FIA summoned Moonis on Jan 27, 2011 for interrogation but he could not appear as he was abroad. However, his lawyer appeared before the trial court and sought time to join investigation but on very next day FIA obtained arrest warrant for Moonis.

Later a court also started proceedings to declare him proclaimed offender, however, this order was cancelled by sessions court, he told the bench.

At this the bench asked the counsel as to why Moonis did not approach trial court for pre-arrest bail. Mr Zafar said how he (Moonis) could go to a court which had already issued warrants for him. He also referred to some judgments of superior court in which bail was directly granted by high courts.

The chief justice observed that the investigating officer had already written his report favouring Moonis Elahi which suggested that the issue of transferring Zafar Qureshi, additional director-general FIA, was also a planned drama.

The CJ also expressed his displeasure at making public statements by Moonis on a sub judice matter. “After getting relief from court you (Moonis) make public statement which is misuse of court's orders. Play such tricks only after the case is finished,” the CJ warned Moonis Elahi, present in the courtroom.

The bench, however, allowed him bail subject to furnishing of bail bonds worth Rs100 million.