Islamabad [Pakistan], May 22 : Incarcerated for 11 months, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader, Parvez Elahi was released from Kot Lakhpat jail on Tuesday night after the Lahore High Court (LHC) granted him bail and ordered his release in a case pertaining to an alleged illegal appointment made in the Punjab Assembly during his stint as chief minister, Dawn reported.
Justice Sultan Tanvir Ahmed accepted Elahi's bail petition on Tuesday and ordered his release, the report said, adding that the court said the case against Elahi called for further investigation into his guilt and his bail petition was thus being allowed, with bail set at PKR 500,000 with two sureties each in the like amount.
Dawn reported further, citing Elahi's lawyer Amir Saeed Rawn, that the PTI leader had reached the Zahoor Elahi Palace.
Elahi was moved to Kot Lakhpat jail earlier this month.
Following the release, Elahi said he was grateful to God for exonerating him and granting him the strength to remain steadfast.
"I am grateful to the judges who supported the truth and I was released. I am grateful to all those who prayed for me and supported me in this difficult time. The people of Gujarat suffered a lot of abuse and cruelty. Even our mandate was stolen in Gujarat," he posted on X.
The PTI leader also ruled out any talks with his cousin, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid chief Chaudhry Shujaat, and his children until "the return of our mandate".
He alleged that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had "played the most important role" in getting him arrested.
"I was, am and will remain with Imran Khan," he said. Former federal minister and PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry termed Elahi's release a "breath of fresh air".
Dawn reported that Elahi was initially arrested in the case of recruitment to the Punjab Assembly on June 3 last year. The case pertained to the illegal recruitments of 12 Grade 17 officers in the provincial assembly, with Elahi being accused of getting the results of the testing service changed to select the candidates of his choice, according to Dawn.
He was then arrested on September 18 in the case of allegedly illegally appointing Bhatti, following which a Lahore court sent him on judicial remand.
In October, a Lahore district and sessions court granted police Elahi's two-day physical remand in the case. Days later, the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment informed the court that it had allegedly recovered PKR 4.1 million from the ex-CM's house in the case, Dawn reported.
The next month, a judicial magistrate discharged Bhatti in the case but he remained in jail as he was on judicial remand in other corruption cases.
Later in the same month, Elahi was denied bail in the case.
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