Indictment of former chief minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Pervaiz Elahi and others in a case pertaining to illegal appointments in the Punjab Assembly was deferred on Wednesday. It should be mentioned here that the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) arrested Pervaiz Elahi on charges of appointing Muhammad Khan Bhatti as his principal secretary during his tenure as the chief minister. Former chief minister Punjab Pervaiz Elahi and others marked their attendance in the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE). At the outset of hearing, the counsel urged the court to not indict their clients in the illegal appointments case. He told the court the arguments on the indictment should resume after the lawyers study the record.

At this the court deferred the indictment of Pervaiz Elahi and other accused and adjourned the hearing till March 11. It is pertinent to mention here that PTI’s Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was re-arrested, minutes after he was discharged by a court in two corruption cases. The ACE spokesperson said Pervaiz Elahi was re-arrested in a case pertaining to illegal appointments in the Punjab Assembly. “Elahi made 12 illegal appointments of grade 17 officers in the Punjab Assembly,” the spokesperson claimed. “Failed candidates were given jobs by manipulating records in the Punjab Assembly,” he said, adding: “Fake testing services were used to benefit corrupt officials during the recruitment process.”

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)