LAHORE: A Lahore High Court division bench on Thursday dismissed an appeal of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) seeking cancellation of bail of PTI President Parvez Elahi’s son Rasikh Elahi and daughters-in-law Zara Elahi and Tehreem Elahi in a money laundering case.

The bench headed by Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhry dismissed the appeal on the point of jurisdiction, asking the prosecution to approach the relevant court of law first.

A trial court had confirmed pre-arrest bail of Parvez Elahi’s family members in the money laundering case lodged by the FIA.

The FIA alleged that the sons and the daughters-in-law of the former chief minister committed money laundering through a low cadre employee of the Punjab Assembly.

It said the suspects used bank accounts of Qaiser Iqbal Bhatti, a peon of the assembly, to launder money.

The agency said unexplained transactions of millions of rupees had been traced in the accounts of the peon and the children of Mr Elahi. It alleged that the assets of the peon had been found beyond his known sources of income.

The FIA said the charges had no relation with any previous probe as it had been initiated against a government servant, the assembly’s peon.

Elahi’s son Moonis has been declared a proclaimed offender in the case.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2024