Moments after release, PTI’s Chaudhry Parvez Elahi re-arrested outside Lahore court

Former Punjab chief minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi was re-arrested on Friday moments after securing release in an embezzlement case

Earlier, Ghulam Murtaza Virk, Judicial Magistrate at an anti-corruption court in Lahore, ordered his release as he announced the reserved verdict on a plea seeking Elahi’s physical remand.

“Parvez Elahi should be released if he is not wanted in any other case,” the verdict said.

However, the PTI leader was re-arrested by law enforcement authorities upon release in a corruption case registered against him in Gujranwala.

On Friday morning, law enforcement authorities presented Elahi in a Lahore district court in two cases registered in the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE).

The anti-graft watchdog had sought a 14-day physical remand of the former chief minister. Judicial Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza had reserved the verdict.

Talking informally to reporters, Parvez said that he will remain in PTI. He asked his party to “stand firm” and expressed hope that “this difficult time will eventually pass”.

Parvez was first arrested on Thursday in Lahore after police raided his Lahore residence twice after an anti-corruption court dismissed his pre-arrest bail in a case pertaining to irregularities in development projects launched during his term as the Punjab chief minister.

His first arrest had come days after a district and sessions court in Lahore had issued a non-bailable arrest warrant, a move condemned by PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

PTI leaders being re-arrested

Since the violence that took place on May 9 following the arrest of PTI chief Imran Khan, PTI leaders are being arrested and re-arrested.

On May 30, the law enforcement authorities re-arrested PTI leaders Ali Muhammad Khan and Shehryar Afridi upon their release.

A tweet on PTI’s official handle stated “Ali Muhammad Khan has been re-arrested after being released from Adiala Jail. Ali Muhammad Khan was arrested for the third time”.

Former PTI leader Maleeka Bokhari, Yasmin Rashid and Shireen Mazari were also re-arrested multiple times upon release from jails.

PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi was also re-arrested.