LAHORE, April 1: A magistrate on Friday sent PML-Q MPA Chaudhry Moonis Elahi to jail on a 14-day judicial remand in the National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) land scam.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), however, with the permission of the Punjab home department, shifted the former chief minister's son to a Nadra rest house owing to security concerns. The interior ministry had recommended the home department to keep Moonis at a safer place, said an official of the agency.

The agency brought Moonis to the court in an armoured personnel carrier with a delay of three hours when the court time was over and magistrate Muhammad Irfan Basra had also left.

This situation irked hundreds of PML-Q workers present outside the court who chanted slogans against the authorities. Soon, the magistrate arrived and proceedings began.

The investigating officer informed the court that since 14-day physical remand of Moonis had been completed, the accused might be sent to jail on judicial remand.

Defence counsel Iqbal Bhatti said despite keeping Moonis in custody for 14 days, the FIA remained unsuccessful in extracting any incriminating evidence. He said this was a clear proof of PML-Q MPA's innocence but he was being subjected to political victimisation. The counsel also requested the court to order shifting of Moonis to a hospital instead of jail as he was a diabetic.

The court, however, rejected the plea and asked the counsel to approach appropriate forum for such a relief.

Meanwhile, a law officer informed the court that the federal government, in a letter, had advised the agency to keep Moonis in a rest house by declaring it sub-jail as there were threats to his life.

The court directed the FIA to produce the accused again on April 14. — Staff Reporter