LAHORE: A special court for anti-corruption on Monday issued a show-cause notice to the superintendent of Adiala jail, Rawalpindi, for not presenting PTI president Parvez Elahi in a case of illegal appointments in the Punjab Assembly.

A prosecutor from the Anti-Corruption Estab­lishment (ACE) informed the court that Mr. Elahi was not brought from the jail due to his medical condition, while another suspect in the case, former principal secretary to the chief minister Muhammad Khan Bhatti, had been brought from Gujranwala jail.

Judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta expressed his displeasure with the jail officials for not producing Mr Elahi, as the court was supposed to indict the suspects.

The judge noted that the indictment of the suspects had been delayed for the past month.

Advocates Khurram Latif Khosa and Lahore Bar Association’s president Munir Hussain Bhatti, representing Mr Elahi, requested an adjournment as Mr Elahi had been admitted to the jail hospital.

The judge observed that the court had not been informed about the suspect’s medical condition.

Defence lawyers became upset when the judge insi­s­­­ted on framing charges before adjourning the hearing, questioning the ‘haste’ in indicting an ailing suspect.

The judge later adjourned the hearing till March 19 for indictment of the suspects.

The judge also issued a show-cause notice to the superintendent of Adiala jail, directing him to submit an explanation for not presenting the suspect before the court.

The ACE alleged that illegal appointments to BS-17 posts were made in the assembly during Mr Elahi’s tenure as the chief minister, with Muhammad Khan Bhatti serving as his principal secretary.

The prosecution claimed that despite being decla­red failed in the written examination, favourite candidates were appointed to the posts.

These appointed can­­didates have also been nominated as suspects in the case.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2024