LAHORE: An accountability court on Tuesday handed former chief minister and PTI president Parvez Elahi in NAB custody for six days for allegedly receiving ki­­ckbacks in development schemes launched in Gujrat division.

The anti-graft watchdog had arrested Mr Elahi shortly after his release from Adiala jail, Rawalpindi, upon completion of his 30-day detention period.

NAB produced him before the court and sought his physical rem­and. Special prosecutor Waris Ali Janjua told the court that four suspects had already been arres­ted and were on remand in the case.

He said the former chief minister had approved 200 development schemes for his constituency, Guj­rat, and allegedly recei­v­­ed more than Rs1 billion as kickbacks.

Advocate Amjad Pervez appearing on behalf of Mr Elahi argued that petitions were pending before the LHC and SC. He said if decisions came in favour of his client, the remand matter would stand quashed, otherwise, he would advance arguments on the merits of the case. Therefore, he reques­ted the court not to grant physical remand of Mr Elahi to NAB for more than two or three days.

Therefore, he requested the court not to grant physical remand of Mr Elahi to NAB for more than two or three days.

The counsel also urged the court to allow provision of medicine, home-cooked food and a bed to Mr Elahi during the remand period.

After hearing both sides, Judge Zubair Shahzad Kiani granted a six-day remand of Mr Elahi to the bureau with the direction to produce him again on Aug 21.

The PTI president was first arrested on June 1 in connection with a corruption case. He was discharged in the case the very next day, only to be arrested in another. Later, he was implicated in more cases of corruption.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2023