Lahore: An accountability court on Friday set January 7 for framing charges against former chief minister Punjab Chaudhry Parvez Elahi in a corruption reference related to Gujrat development projects
Accountability Court Judge Zubair Shahzad Kiyani conducted the hearing on a reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), wherein Parvez Elahi did not appear.
In response to a court query, Elahi’s counsel stated that his counsel slipped in the bathroom the previous evening, injuring his back and ankle. At this, the NAB prosecutor accused Elahi of using medical excuses to avoid indictment.
The court then sought clarity on whether charges could be framed against the other accused present in the case.
To which, the prosecutor argued that separate indictments could proceed, but Muhammad Khan Bhatti’s counsel opposed the move, stating that all accused should be indicted together.
Elahi’s counsel maintained that his client was the central figure in the case, and framing charges in his absence woul
d be illegal. He requested the court to appoint a pleader for Elahi or postpone the day’s proceedings.
After hearing the arguments, the court framed charges against co-accused Muhammad Khan Bhatti and others. However, the indictment of Chaudhry Parvez Elahi was deferred, with the next hearing set for January 7.
The NAB has accused Parvez Elahi and Moonis Elahi of receiving over Rs. 1 billion in kickbacks through intermediaries in more than 200 development projects in the Gujrat district during Parvez Elahi’s second term as Chief Minister of Punjab.