An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad has approved bail of PTI President and former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi in Judicial Complex vandalism case, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
ATC Judge Abual Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain while accepting the bail plea directed the PTI president to submit a surety bond of Rs20,000.
The case is related to Pervaiz Elahi and other PTI leaders being booked for their alleged attack on policemen outside the Federal Judicial Complex in Islamabad earlier this year, when PTI chairman Imran Khan had appeared to attend a hearing.
During the proceedings of Friday, the judge remarked that Pervaiz Elahi’s name was not mentioned in the FIR so he is approving his bail application.
Pervaiz Elahi’s lawyers – Babar Awan and Sardar Abdur Razzaq – were present in the court. Babar Awan informed the court that Pervaiz Elahi was nominated in the FIR of the case and nothing was found during the three-day physical remand of the former chief minister.
Babar Awan further said that Pervaiz Elahi is a popular politician but he was arrested on just a “suspicion”.
All other accused nominated in the FIR had been given bail, said Babar Awan, praying the court to also accept Pervaiz Elahi’s bail.
Sardar Abdur Razzaq said Pervaiz Elahi was nominated in the case six months after registration of the FIR. He said bail had been approved to all accused named in the FIR including PTI Chairman Imran Khan and Asad Umar.
The prosecution opposed approving bail to Pervaiz Elahi, arguing that sections under which the FIR had been lodged were non-bailable. Pervaiz Elahi was arrested on an informer’s information, he added.
Pervaiz Elahi’s ordeal
On September 5, Pervaiz Elahi was rearrested hours after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had suspended his detention under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance and ordered his release.
The PTI leader had been arrested at least 11 times in various cases since the start of June, after a statewide crackdown was launched against the PTI in the aftermath of the May 9 violence.
On September 1, the PTI president was rearrested the same day the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to release the former chief minister of Punjab.
Later, on his way home, Pervaiz Elahi was arrested by Islamabad police from Lahore’s Canal Road.
His son Moonis Elahi had termed the arrest ‘abduction’, saying it was against orders of the high court.
In June, the former Punjab CM was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) in Gujranwala on allegations of taking Rs 15 million as bribes as the speaker of the provincial assembly for making out-of-merit appointments on grade-17 posts in the Punjab assembly.
However, he was discharged the next day, only to be arrested by ACE in a similar case registered in its Gujranwala region.
Then on July 17, Pervaiz Elahi was detained under the MPO for 30 days.
Reporter Farzana Siddique