LAHORE: A judicial magistrate at district courts on Wednesday denied the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) the physical remand of former chief minister Parvez Elahi in a money laundering case and sent him to jail on judicial remand.

The FIA had arrested Mr Elahi in a hurriedly registered case after a special court of anti-corruption released him on bail in an alleged corruption case.

The agency produced the former chief minister before the magistrate and sought his 14-day physical remand. It accused Mr Elahi of committing money laundering through a frontman and booked him along with his son Moonis Elahi and three others.

The investigating officer told the court that a strong evidence was available against the suspect and his custody was required to complete the investigation.

Lahore Bar Association President Rana Intizar Hussain appeared on behalf of Mr Elahi and opposed the remand. He said the FIA registered a new case on old and quashed charges only to keep the PTI leader behind bars on political grounds.

He asked the magistrate to discharge his client in the case.

Mr Elahi told the magistrate that he had been denied basic facilities in the jail despite a direction by the Lahore High Court.

The PTI leader said he was wearing the same suit which he wore on the first appearance before the court after his arrest in another case.

Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Virk turned down the FIA’s request for the remand and sent Elahi to jail on judicial remand.

The same magistrate had previously denied the ACE the physical remand of Elahi in two cases of corruption in development funds and appointments made in the Punjab Assembly.

The magistrate had also discharged the PTI president in the appointments case.

The prosecution’s appeal against the decisions of the magistrate is also pending before the high court.

Separately, Elahi filed a petition in the Lahore High Court seeking protective bail in all undisclosed cases registered against him by different agencies.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2023