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Lahore court remands Elahi to NAB’s custody in bribery case

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  • Judge Zubair Shehzad Kiyani presides over the hearing.
  • Court approves seven-day physical remand of Elahi.
  • Court directs NAB to submit response to PTI president’s plea.

LAHORE: An accountability court in Lahore Tuesday remanded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi to National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) custody till August 21 in a case of bribery over development project contracts.

The former Punjab chief minister — who has been detained back-to-back — was arrested yet again by NAB officials shortly after being released from Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail on Monday night.

However, as soon as the PTI president walked free, the NAB officials apprehended him and presented him before Judicial Magistrate Khalid Hayat to seek his transitory remand.

Today the NAB officials, whose request for the transitory remand was accepted last night, presented Elahi before a Lahore court.

The accountability court judge, Zubair Shehzad Kiyani, presided over the hearing in Lahore. 

During the hearing, Special Prosecutor Waris Janjua sought Elahi’s 14-day physical remand on NAB’s behalf. He informed the court that a supplementary grant of Rs72 billion was issued for specific sectors of Gujrat under Elahi as Punjab CM. 

Others facing charges in the same case have been remanded, he added.

At this, the court approved a seven-day physical remand — half as requested by the prosecution — of Elahi, who sought permission to meet his wife and son.

However, the court directed NAB to submit a response to the PTI president’s plea.

Elahi was initially arrested on June 1 from outside his residence in an Rs70 million graft case related to the embezzlement of development funds allocated for the Gujrat district.

Since then, the former Punjab chief minister has been behind bars on various charges. During a span of around two and half months, the PTI leader was released multiple times on the courts’ orders but was re-arrested immediately every time.

The PTI president was taken into custody during a crackdown launched against the party’s leadership following the May 9 riots.

The riots were triggered almost across the country after the PTI chairman’s arrest in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case on May 9 which led to the deaths of at least eight people and injured several others, prompting the authorities to arrest thousands of PTI workers.

During the protests, the miscreants attacked the civil and military installations including — Corps Commander’s House (Jinnah House) in Lahore Cantt and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.

The military called May 9 “Black Day” and decided to try the protesters under the Army Act. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed May 9 as the “darkest day in the [country’s] history” and announced to try the suspects in the military courts.

The National Security Committee had also endorsed the decision of the top brass to act against rioters under the Army Act.

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PTI suggests resuming talks with government over judicial commission issue.

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Barrister Gohar, Chairman of the PTI, has claimed that the party’s founder has suspended negotiations, emphasizing that the government should declare the commission within seven days.

He emphasized the PTI’s openness to rethink if the government makes headway and establishes the commission.

Barrister Gohar told the reporters, “Seven days were enough to announce the commission.” We are ready to reconsider, but the government must first announce the commission.”

He stated that the PTI approached the negotiations with an open mind. “The PTI founder has halted the negotiations. “The government had eight laws on their agenda, while we only had two demands,” he stated.

The PTI chairman went on to say that even after seven days, no progress had been made in forming the commission. He encouraged the government to reconsider the decision and proceed with the announcement.

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PTI will declare February 8 to be “Black Day,” sparking protests across the country.

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According to reports, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) intends to hold rallies nationwide on Wednesday in support of its decision to declare February 8, the one-year anniversary of the general elections, a black day.

According to media sources, PTI founder Imran Khan has instructed all party lawmakers—including MPAs and MNAs—to plan and take part in demonstrations in their local communities on February 8 in order to draw attention to their complaints and issues.

In a recent meeting with legal advisors on Wednesday, Imran Khan expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the party’s Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram. The meeting emphasized the importance of party discipline and gave stern directives to abstain from any criticism of Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the head of the JUI-F.

It has also been suggested that the PTI engage opposition leaders in the demonstrations in order to win their support.

Party insiders revealed that the founder has urged leaders to ensure effective coordination and mobilised efforts in preparation for February 8.

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In 13 cases involving the D-Chowk demonstration, Bushra Bibi granted temporary release until February 7.

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Bushra Bibi, the wife of the PTI chairman, was granted temporary release by the Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in 13 counts pertaining to the November 26 D-Chowk protest. Judge Tahir Abbas Supra ordered the police to produce all pertinent documentation by February 7 and granted bail against surety bonds of Rs. 5,000 apiece.

Additionally, Bushra Bibi was given temporary release until February 7 in the Rangers’ accident case. During the hearing, Judge Tahir Abbas Supra expressed disappointment over the behavior of the defense counsel on two occasions. Addressing the lawyers, he remarked, “You demand VIP protocol everywhere, but this is not possible. Prepare your files properly before coming to court.”

Three cases at the Secretariat Police Station, two each at the Margalla, Karachi Company, and Ramna Police Stations, and one each at the Tarnol, Kohsar, Aabpara, and Khanna Police Stations are among the numerous charges against Bushra Bibi.

In addition, the judge chastised the defense team for requesting that Bushra Bibi sign and thumbprint blank documents. He said, “The accused must sign and thumbprint the court orders, not blank sheets.”

Bushra Bibi also went to the Islamabad High Court to have her biometrics verified in relation to her appeal to be exonerated in the Toshakhana-II case. On Monday, Bushra Bibi and the PTI chairman submitted their acquittal petitions. After finishing the biometric procedure, she departed right away.

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