LAHORE: A special court on Saturday granted post-arrest bail to former chief minister Parvez Elahi in a money laundering case registered by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

Judge Bakht Behzad announced the bail granting order after hearing arguments from the defence and the prosecution.

Elahi’s counsel argued that the FIA registered a new case based on old and quashed charges only to keep the PTI president behind the bars on political grounds.

He said the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had already closed an inquiry initiated on the same charges against the petitioner.

He said the petitioner had no role in the alleged offence and he was being politically victimised.

He asked the court to release the petitioner on bail as there was no need to keep him behind the bars.

A prosecutor opposed the bail and argued that the former chief minister committed money laundering through different front men, along with his son Moonis Elahi and three others, saying compelling evidence was available against the suspect.

The judge allowed the bail petition and directed Mr Elahi to furnish surety bonds.

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 Mr Elahi before a magistrate for physical remand on June 21.

However, the magistrate denied the agency physical remand and sent Mr Elahi to jail on judicial remand.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2023