Islamabad [Pakistan], September 1 : The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to release Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, Pakistan-based Geo News reported.
Elahi had filed a petition against the NAB's move to arrest him in a corruption case. Lahore High Court Judge Amjad Rafiq announced the decision after Elahi was produced before the court, Geo News reported.
During the hearing on Friday, Justice Rafiq warned NAB that the court will issue a warrant against the accountability body's director-general if Elahi is not presented before the court today. He said that a complete inquiry would be carried out into his arrest.
Judge Rafiq said, "I am ordering to release Parvez Elahi on an immediate basis." Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Elahi said, "I thank God for the judge's order for my release and I thank everyone who prayed for me," Geo News reported.
On August 29, the former Punjab Chief Minister approached the court to challenge his detention and said that his arrest breached the LHC's orders restricting the authorities from arresting Elahi in any undisclosed FIR or pending inquiry.
NAB had accused Chaudhry Parvez Elahi of taking more than Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 1 billion as kickbacks through intermediaries in over 200 development projects in the Gujrat city of Pakistan during his second term as Punjab's Chief Minister, according to Geo News report.
Initially, Elahi was arrested on June 1 outside his house in a PKR 70 million graft case connected to the embezzlement of development funds announced for the Gujrat district.
Since then, he has remained in prison on various charges. PTI Vice President was released multiple times after the court's orders. However, he was immediately rearrested each time.
On August 29, the Lahore Accountability Court extended the physical remand of Chaudhry Parvez Elahi till September 2, Pakistan-based ARY News reported. According to the details, Elahi was presented before the accountability court judge Sajid Ali Awan after completion of physical remand.
In the court, the former Punjab Chief Minister said that he is 77 years old and a heart patient. However, he is not allowed to meet his family members and do therapy, ARY News reported.
The National Accountability Board prosecutor requested the court to grant a 14-day physical remand to carry out a probe of his alleged corruption in 200 development projects in Mandi Bahauddin and Gujrat, according to ARY News report.
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