A magistrate court in Lahore Sunday turned down the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE)’s plea seeking former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi’s physical remand and sent him on judicial remand.

According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, Elahi was booked in a case of illegal appointments in the Punjab Assembly during his stint as chief minister of the province.

Judicial Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Virk heard ACE’s request for Elahi’s physical remand. 

The court in its verdict sent PTI President Parvez Elahi to jail on 14-day judicial remand, rejecting the ACE's request for his physical remand. 

Elahi was presented before the court today by ACE officials amid tight security after he was re-arrested for the second time in two days on Saturday.

However, he was taken away by ACE officials after the court reserved its decision on the ACE’s plea for his 14-day physical remand.

Announcing its decision later, the court sent him to jail on 14-day judicial remand. 

Chaudhry Parvez has been shifted to Camp Jail by ACE officials amid tight security. 

According to the ACE officials, Elahi has recruited 12 Grade-17 officers in the Punjab Assembly against merit.

Earlier, President Lahore Bar Association Rana Intizar Hussain appeared on behalf of Elahi.

At the outset of the hearing, Director Legal Jam Salahuddin reposed no confidence in Magistrate Virk. He accused him of being pro-PTI and biased.

The ACE director objected that he (the magistrate) could not hear this case and requested him to adjourn the proceedings.

The magistrate remarked that the sessions judge had appointed him to hear the case. “Go, and make a complaint to him,” the magistrate asked the director.

The director told the magistrate that the ACE team was going to the sessions judge.

Hearing this, the magistrate adjourned the proceedings of the case for 30 minutes.

Ch Pervaiz Elahi was arrested from outside his house in Gulberg on June 1 in a corruption case. However, the court termed the charges against Elahi not “well-founded” and discharged him.

Soon after his discharge, Elahi was taken into custody again by anti-corruption officials in two cases — registered in Gujranwala — accusing him of causing a loss of Rs100 million to the national exchequer and receiving kickbacks during his time as Punjab chief executive.

On Saturday, Elahi was produced before Judicial Magistrate Mohammad Afzal’s court in Gujranwala.

After the arguments from the ACE and Elahi’s lawyers, the court discharged the PTI president in both cases and ordered his immediate release if he was not required in any other case.

But the PTI president was arrested yet again on Saturday - this time for making illegal appointments in the Punjab Assembly.

Elahi advises PTI people to put on a brave face

Talking to the media in the court on Sunday, Elahi said that it did not matter if the government registered 100 cases against him.

He advised the PTI people to put on a brave face, stay brave and fight off the vile tactics of the present government. He asked people that they should not worry as they are fighting for a just cause.

He said that the officials who are employing highhandedness would fail in the end and they would be humiliated.

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