ACE plea Rejected
This is our army and we are willing to correct ourselves where we were wrong, says PTI leader
LAHORE
A district court in Lahore on Sunday rejected the Anti-Corruption Establishment’s (ACE) request for physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Parvez Elahi and instead ordered his 14-day judicial remand in a case pertaining to illegal recruitments in the Punjab Assembly.
After two separate courts discharged the PTI leader in cases over which he was arrested, Elahi was arrested a third time yesterday by Punjab’s anti-corruption watchdog in a fresh case involving “illegal appointments”. President Lahore Bar Rana Intizar represented Elahi today as Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Virk presided over a request filed by DIG anti-corruption for the former Punjab chief minister’s physical remand. During the hearing, there was a bitter exchange between Elahi’s lawyer and the anti-corruption officials, while the judge also expressed his anger toward the investigating officer.
“We will file an FIR against the DIG if he takes Elahi back today,” argued Intizar.
However, the DIG objected to the judge expressing “no confidence in him” as he “holds social media accounts”.
Magistrate Virk opposed the arguments put forth by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab, saying he did not have any social media accounts and lamented the application the prosecution filed against him.
“If you object to my hearing the case then you should go to a sessions court,” he said before recessing for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, Elahi recorded a video statement for all PTI supporters to “stay strong”. The party president said that “even if 100 cases are filed against me, they cannot do anything”. he said, urging all supporters to put on a brave face and pay no heed to the government’s “tactics”.
On the other hand, the ACE spokesperson told reporters that “there is a case of illegal recruitment against Chaudhry Parvez Elahi who was presented in the court today.”
“We have clear evidence of bias against Special Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Virk,” he said adding that “despite the merit, the lawyers of the failed candidates have also expressed their lack of confidence in the judge in private capacity”.
According to the spokesman, the judge had shown partiality by acquitting Elahi on June 2.
“Illegal recruitments and promotions in the Punjab Assembly have robbed the province of what is rightful,” he added alleging that “the former chief minister recruited personal employees in the Punjab Assembly, destroying the system of merit.”
The spokesperson also maintained that Elahi’s arrest was “legal” and “fulfilled all legal requirements”.
“It is hoped that the court will hear the case on merit, as per the law physical remand of the accused is necessary for investigation,” the ACE official said.
Subsequently, the court dismissed ACE’s request for Elahi’s physical remand and instead ordered his detention in jail on a 14-day judicial remand.
