Lahore court extends Elahi's remand in illegal appointment case

• ACE sought 12-day extension in physical remand of PTI president. 
• Judicial Magistrate Imran Abid announces verdict on ACE's plea.
• ACE alleges ex-Punjab CM appointed his principal secretary illegally.

LAHORE: A local court in Lahore on Saturday approved a two-day extension in the physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Parvez Elahi, who remains incarcerated in Adiala jail, in the case pertaining to illegal appointments.

The former Punjab chief minister had been sent to prison after the court remanded him in judicial custody for 14 days in the case on September 19. 

Elahi is among several PTI leaders and workers who had been arrested amid the state’s crackdown on the PTI leadership following the violent riots in the country after party chairman Imran Khan's first arrest on May 9. Later, he was arrested multiple times again after multiple other cases including the illegal appointments cases were opened against him.

Today, the court gave the order of extension in his remand while reading the verdict reserved by Judicial Magistrate Imran Abid on the Anti-Corruption Establishment's (ACE) request for a 12-day physical remand.

Earlier, Elahi was presented in the court after the completion of another two-day physical remand given previously.

"Further interrogation of Elahi is required," the ACE officials informed the court while seeking a 12-day extension in the physical remand.

At this, Elahi's lawyer opposed ACE's request, maintaining that Rs3-4 million holds no value for the PTI president and he hadn't accepted any money from anyone for "illegal appointments".

The illegal recruitment case

It may be noted that Elahi has been arrested multiple times since June 1 in several cases, with the latest to be made on September 18 the Punjab ACE.

The body alleged that the appointment of Muhammad Khan Bhatti as his principal secretary during his time as the CM was not in accordance with the law.

According to the details provided by an ACE spokesperson, Elahi made 12 illegal recruitments in the Punjab Assembly on grade 17 positions.

The candidates were recruited in the provincial assembly by altering the records.

"The illegal recruitments were made through fake testing services," said the spokesperson.

He said that the investigation by the ACE proved that fake recruitments were made in the Punjab Assembly.