In Rawalpindi, the Anti-Corruption Establishment of Punjab (ACE) took Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, former chief minister and President of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), into custody on Wednesday.
This action followed the approval of the ACE's request for a transit remand by the anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad. Notably, Chaudhry Parvez Elahi was not presented in the ATC for the transit remand hearing.
Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain approved the request and granted a one-day remand, after which Elahi was handed over to the ACE authorities. Subsequently, an anti-corruption team detained him at Adiala Jail and transferred him to Lahore.
Initially, the ACE had sought custody of Elahi through a civil court. However, the civil court rejected the request, stating that the former Punjab chief minister was already in custody and that the matter should be referred to the ATC Islamabad. Elahi had been on judicial remand at Adiala Jail in connection with the Judicial Complex attack case.
Additionally, in the same case, the ATC issued perpetual arrest warrants for ten PTI leaders, including Murad Saeed, Omar Ayub, Ali Amin Gandapur, Shibli Faraz, Farrukh Habib, Hammad Azhar, Ali Nawaz Awan, Hassaan Khan Niazi, and Umar Sultan.
Judge Zulqarnain explained that these permanent arrest warrants were issued due to the accused's continuous absence from court proceedings, as they had been declared proclaimed offenders, necessitating their arrest and appearance in court.