Parvez Elahi arrested for third time after Gujranwala court acquits him in corruption case

GUJRANWALA – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi was arrested for the third time immediately after a local court acquitted him in a corruption case on Saturday evening.

Earlier, the court had reserved its judgement on the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment's (ACE) plea seeking 14-day physical remand of Elahi. As soon as the court announced its verdict, acquitting Elahi of the charges, ACE officials arrested him for the third time, this time in an illegal appointments case.

A day earlier, Elahi was acquitted in a corruption case in Lahore and re-arrested immediately, Punjab ACE officials produced him in the court of Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Afzal in Gujranwala. During the hearing, anti-corruption officials requested the court to grant them Elahi’s physical remand.

Elahi, 77, was shifted to ACE's Gujranwala office from Lahore earlier this morning.

On Friday, PTI leader was brought to court amid tight security where ACE officials sought his 14-day physical remand in the corruption case.

Earlier this week, Elahi's arrest was made in connection with a corruption case involving the misappropriation of Rs70 million in development funds allocated for the Gujrat district, for which Elahi’s bail request was denied.

Two cases have been lodged in Gujranwala against the former Punjab chief minister, accusing him of accepting kickbacks in awarding contracts. Additionally, a case has been registered against him in Lahore.