Daily Times

Former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi on Tuesday was granted protective bail in two cases – one filed by the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) and the other linked to terrorism – in separate hearings conducted at the Lahore High Court (LHC). Elahi reached the high court accompanied by numerous party workers and lawyers. The former CM – who had managed to evade two attempts to arrest him at his residences in Lahore and Gujrat – appeared before Justice Asjad Javaid Ghural’s bench. During the hearing, Elahi’s lawyer argued that cases were being filed against him on a “daily basis”. The court responded: “If any new case is registered, file for the protective bail again.” Earlier, the court rejected Elahi’s request to stop the police from arresting him. His plea was filed by his son Rasikh Elahi, against the police action on his house last week. During the hearing, Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar also issued notices to the inspector general of the Punjab Police and the director general Anti-Corruption Establishment. The court also summoned the details of the cases registered against the former Punjab chief minister and adjourned the hearing till May 8.

During the graft case hearing on Elahi’s petition, Justice Asjad Javaid Ghural ordered the PTI leader to approach the relevant court to address the charges against him. His lawyer told the court that Elahi was previously granted protective bail in the same case by the LHC. “They are filing cases every day,” Elahi’s lawyer said, at which the judge directed him to apply for protective bail afresh in any new cases registered against his clients.

Elahi’s petition against the terrorism charge, invoked in an FIR filed after the raid on Elahi’s residence, was heard by a two-member bench, led by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi. The PTI leader requested the court to grant him protective bail for a week. The judge, however, granted it until May 4, ordering him to approach the relevant court.

“The relevant court is nearby,” Justice Najafi said. During the hearing, Elahi’s lawyer contended that despite a court granting protective bail to his client on April 27 in the corruption case, a raid was carried out by the ACE at his residence. At that, the judge enquired whether the raid team was shown the court order for Elahi’s bail. “We did not have the written order, but the prosecutor general spoke with the team,” the lawyer informed the court.