ISLAMABAD:
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in the federal capital on Friday rejected a request for former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi’s physical remand and sent him to jail on a 14-day judicial remand instead in the judicial complex riot case
The ATC began its proceedings on Friday after Judge Abual Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain returned from his leave. The police produced Elahi in court following the expiry of his two-day physical remand in the case.
At the outset of the hearing, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) sought an extension of 10 days in the Pakistani Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) president’s physical remand.
Read Elahi remanded in police custody till 8th
Elahi’s counsel, lawyer Sardar Abdul Razzaq, argued that the allegations against his client are ‘political’. “He had not joined [the] PTI when the incident took place on March 18. An FIR dated March 18 was filed against [the] PTI leaders and workers. Parvez Elahi is being targeted for political revenge,” stated the lawyer, adding that the party president was also acquitted by the ATC in the same case.
“Yet he is now caught in another trial, instead of being released,” he added.
The PTI stalwart’s lawyer recounted the times Elahi had been arrested on ‘baseless’ allegations in the past. “When there was no other path, the deputy commissioner [DC] Lahore had issued an order for detention. Later, NAB [National Accountability Bureau] arrested him. The Lahore High Court [LHC] ordered that Elahi should not be arrested in any secret case. Despite clear orders, Islamabad police arrived and kidnapped him,” he stated.
Razzaq added that his client was then presented in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) where his arrest order was suspended and yet he was arrested once again while leaving the court premises.
Read More No end in sight to Elahi’s misery
He maintained that a physical remand should be granted if there is any evidence against his client. He argued that Elahi was named six months after the incident in the case and requested the court to discharge him so that he could continue serving Pakistan.
During the hearing, Elahi’s counsel also cited examples of PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi and other party leaders who have already received bail in the same case.
Meanwhile, PTI leader and Advocate Babar Awan also reached the courtroom. Elahi was seen speaking to Awan, pleading to get him discharged in this case.
In his arguments, Advocate Awan read the FIR in court. He asked what evidence the prosecution has submitted to the court so far that proves Elahi is a terrorist. “The prosecution does not have even a speck of evidence against my client,” he stated, requesting the court to order release for his client.
During the hearing, Prosecutor Tahir Kazim argued that Elahi’s counsels spoke about his arrests in Punjab but that “is not in our jurisdiction, it is not right to connect these cases with ours”.
Read Also Asad Umar, other PTI leaders get bail extension in judicial complex riot case
He said that Elahi is accused of “facilitating the attack financially” and that a digital transaction had taken place.
Judge Zulqarnain inquired about the investigation conducted in the past two days of remand, to which, the police replied that they had investigated the vehicles.
Subsequently, the ATC rejected the police’s request for a 10-day extension in Elahi’s physical remand and sent him to jail on a 14-day judicial remand instead. The court ordered that Elahi be transferred to Adiala Jail and allowed to meet his family.
The judge, at the end of the hearing, called Elahi to the rostrum, asked him to have faith in God and issued a notice for a hearing on Monday on the senior politician’s request.
