Pakistan: Parvez Elahi rearrested after his legal team fails to pay bail bond
Sep 16, 2023
Islamabad [Pakistan], September 16 : A day after being given bail, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Parvez Elahi was once again taken into custody by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab for non-payment of his bail bond, The News International reported on Saturday.
This comes just a day after he was given bail in the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) attack case by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad.
Due to the non-payment of the bail bond, the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) cell arrested Elahi from Adiala jail, The News International reported.
The former Chief Minister of Punjab province has been taken to the judicial complex for his transitory remand today.
The officials said that Elahi will be taken to the ACE headquarters in Lahore by evening, adding that he has four corruption cases registered against him.
Earlier on Friday, ATC Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain had accepted Elahi's bail against the surety bond of Rs20,000 — which Elahi's legal team failed to pay, according to The News International.
Notably, the PTI president was apprehended hours after his release from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) custody on September 1, despite the fact that the Lahore High Court (LHC) had explicitly restricted the authorities from arresting him earlier that day.
The September 1 order was a reiteration of similar orders issued by the high court on July 13, 2023. Elahi has been arrested and detained repeatedly since the May 9 riots.
Elahi is being taken to Lahore on a one-day transitory remand which was approved by duty judge Shahrukh Arjumand after his arrest today, The News International reported citing sources.
The court has also ordered to produce the PTI president before the relevant court by tomorrow.
Speaking to media persons, Parvez Elahi's counsel Sardar Abdul Razzaq said that no corruption case has been registered against his client in Punjab.
"Elahi's bail amount wasn't paid yet. He was not even released before being re-arrested in another case," The News International quoted the lawyer as saying. .
Razzaq said that Elahi was taken into custody from the jail premises and was taken to court for transitory remand.
"Elahi has been arrested for the 12th time," he added.
