The co-accused involved in the corruption case against former chief minister and PTI President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi fled from the custody of anti-corruption establishment police on Wednesday in Gujranwala. Reportedly, police were shifting Pervaiz Elahi’s front man Sohail Asghar from ACE police station to the hospital after the complaints made by the accused of feeling ill. Sources said when the police van reached near General Bus Stand, some unknown persons intercepted the van, snatched the accused and fled away.

Asghar is accused of awarding development projects’ contracts to his favourite contractors after offering a cut to then chief minister Elahi. It may be mentioned here that a second case of corruption had been registered against Pervaiz Elahi in Gujranwala on Sunday. According to the FIR, Elahi made advance payment worth Rs20 billion of a contract after accepting Rs2 billion as bribe. A case had been registered against nine accused including Pervaiz Elahi’s front man Sohail Asghar and contractor Tariq.

According to the FIR, Elahi had allegedly received huge bribe while awarding the contract for the construction of 29km patch of road. The deal worth billions of rupees was brokered by Sohail Asghar. The Gujranwala anti-corruption establishment had then arrested Sohail Asghar and started investigation. Pervaiz Elahi, Sohail Asghar, Tariq, XEN Highway Azmat Hayat, DEO Ashfaq Hamad, sub-engineer Salman Ahmed and others had been named in the case. The anti-corruption and police officials had raided the residence of Pervaiz Elahi in Lahore to arrest him late on Friday night. But the police failed to capture Elahi as he was not at his home at the time of the raid.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-INP