FIA launches probe into Chaudhy Parvez Elahi’s latest audio leaks

ISLAMABAD – The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has formally launched a probe into latest alleged audio leaks purportedly involving former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi.

The investigation was started after getting permission from Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, who a day earlier had hinted at Elahi’s arrested during a press conference.

Reports said the audio clips would be sent to Lahore for forensic examination, adding that a case would be registered against the PML-Q leader if the audios are declared real.

On Thursday, the interior minister asked Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial to take notice of the recent audio leaks.

In the leaked audio, Elahi can be heard allegedly talking about managing courts. He is a close aide of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.

Rana Sanaullah also called for a forensic test of the leaked audio and urged the CJP to bring the culprits to justice.

“If the former Punjab CM is found guilty after the forensic, then the matter should be presented before the judicial committee,” he added.

Sanaullah, who is a close aide of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and a key minister in the coalition government led by the PML-N, said it was not the first audio leak. Such audios were leaked on multiple occasions but no action was taken. That’s why the former Punjab chief executive "fearlessly [tried to] manage" the top court of the country, he said.

At the press conference, Sanaullah played a censored clip of the leaked audio, saying he did not want to reveal the identity of the superior court judge before forensic analysis of this audio.