A Lahore district and sessions court on Thursday discharged PTI president and former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi in a case pertaining to illegally enhancing the crushing capacity of sugar mills citing “lack of evidence”.
Last month, the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment registered a first information report against Elahi alleging that he had increased the crushing capacity of Rahim Yar Khan Sugar Mills by 30,000 metric tons in violation of the law.
It stated that the former chief minister appointed a non-government employee to the position of principal secretary to the CM and promoted him to the most important position through deputation.
The FIR was among the many cases lodged against Elahi a day after he was re-arrested hours after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had suspended his detention under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance and directed his release.
The PTI President has been arrested at least 11 times in various cases since the start of June and after a statewide crackdown was launched against the party in the aftermath of the May 9 violence.
Today, Elahi was presented before the court of Judicial Magistrate Imran Abid amid tight security.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the hearing, Elahi lamented what he called was “special relief” only for PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shehbaz.
“All the reliefs are for them. We have been on bail for five months yet we are being harassed,” he said.
Elahi further stated that justice, in the truest sense, was served when the public saw and accepted it.
“We have always honoured and respected the courts while the Sharifs have said what not about the judiciary,” he added.
The hearing
At the outset of the hearing, the investigating officer sought Elahi’s physical remand for interrogation. He said that the former chief minister enhanced the crushing capacity of sugar mills against the rules and exceeded his authority.
Meanwhile, Elahi’s lawyer opposed the request for remand, saying that his client was being politically victimised. He further demanded that the PTI president be immediately discharged in the case.
“Parvez Elahi has nothing to do with the case,” Advocate Amir Saeed said, recalling that a committee — constituted by the government — had decided to increase the quota of sugar mills.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Judge Abid reserved the verdict on ACE’s requests for physical remand.
In an order issued later, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, the court ruled that the FIR registered against Elahi did not include any specific allegation of taking bribes and highlighted that a committee, formed under an act passed by the Punjab Assembly, had taken the decision to enhance the crushing capabilities of sugar mills in Rahim Yar Khan.
“After perusing the available record with the assistance of advocates on both sides it is hereby observed that no incriminating material is available against the present accused on the file to grant his physical remand or send him to judicial remand,” it said and discharged the PTI president.
However, the order added that discharging Elahi did not amount to acquittal or cancellation of the FIR. “The investigation of the case continues and even the IO can re-arrest the discharged accused as a result of further investigation and challan him before the competent court of law,” it said.
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