An anti-corruption court ATC in Lahore on Tuesday granted PTI President Parvez Elahi post-arrest bail in a case pertaining to illegal recruitments in the Punjab Assembly.

However, Elahi has not been released as the ATC said its decision was subject to a Lahore High Court (LHC) ruling scheduled to be issued on June 27 in another case.

The former Punjab chief minister was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) in Gujranwala earlier this month on allegations of taking Rs15 million in bribes as the speaker of the provincial assembly for making out-of-merit appointments on grade-17 posts in the provincial assembly.

Elahi was subsequently sent to jail on judicial remand for 14 days. A day earlier, the court had reserved its verdict on the PTI president’s petition for post-arrest bail after the state prosecutor and Elahi’s lawyer Rana Intizar wrapped up their arguments.

Announcing the verdict today, Special Judge Ali Raza Awan granted the former Punjab chief minister post-arrest bail against surety bonds worth Rs1 million.

During the hearing today, Special Prosecutor Abdul Samad argued that Elahi was directly guilty in the case and opposed his bail. On the other hand, Intizar said that his client had no role in the allegations levelled against him.

Elahi is still at the district jail in Lahore and is yet to be released.

In an order issued later in the evening, the court said that the perusal of the case record revealed that “there is an inordinate delay of more than two years in reporting the matter to the ACE”.

“The record further reveals that although as per contents of the FIR the preliminary inquiry was conducted, the fact remains that the petitioners were never associated in the inquiry and the same is ex-parte.”

The record, the order stated, also revealed that a large number of posts were advertised and after the completion of the recruitment process, successful candidates were recommended by the departmental selection team. “But only 12 cases have been unearthed with the allegation of forgery in the results declared by the OTS.”

“The record transpires that although OTS officials are also implicated, none of them have been arrested or investigated so far.”

The court noted that nothing was recovered from the petitioners and ACE’s request for physical remand was twice rejected by the area magistrate. “It is yet to be seen at the time of trial after the recording of evidence as to what extent the petitioners are involved, if any.”

It added that Elahi was 77 years old and “false implication” of the said petitioner “due to ulterior motives and political grudges cannot be ruled out under the current political scenario”.

“The petitioner cannot be kept in jail for an indefinite period and his further detention in jail will serve no purpose,” the court ruled.

However, the anti-corruption court observed that its bail order was “subject to the final decision to be passed in a case titled ‘Chaudhry Parvez Elahi vs Additional Sessions Judge’ pending in the LHC for June 27”.

Cousins reunite

Elahi’s bail comes a day after his cousin and PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain visited the PTI president in jail.

Hussain, who arrived at the district jail along with his son Salik Hussain, said the former chief minister was unwell and that his feet were swollen.

He also quoted Elahi as saying, “Our family has seen massive difficulties in the past, too.”

Speaking to media persons, Chaudhry Shujaat said he went to meet Parvez Elahi because he is a member of his family. Answering a question about whether Elahi would rejoin his old party, the party president said “he is already in the PML-Q”.

When reminded that Parvez Elahi is PTI president, Hussain responded with a smile.

Soon after the meeting, the Punjab government acted briskly and granted “better class” facilities in jail for the former chief minister. The directive issued by the provincial home department stated that the order shall automatically stand cancelled when the prisoner [Parvez Elahi] is released from jail.

Arrest and re-arrests

Elahi was first arrested by ACE officials from outside his residence on June 1 in a corruption case. However, the court termed the charges against Elahi not “well-founded” and discharged him.

Soon after his discharge, Elahi was taken into custody again by anti-corruption officials in two cases — registered in Gujranwala — accusing him of causing a loss of Rs100 million to the national exchequer and receiving kickbacks during his time as Punjab chief executive.

Earlier this month, Elahi was produced before Judicial Magistrate Mohammad Afzal’s court in Gujranwala. After the arguments from the ACE and Elahi’s lawyers, the court discharged the PTI president in both cases and ordered his immediate release if he was not required in any other case.

But the PTI president was arrested yet again eluded of his liberty and arrested for “illegal recruitments” in the Punjab Assembly.