LAHORE: An accountability court adjourned the hearing of a reference against PTI president and former Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Pervez Elahi till October 17 of receiving kickbacks for awarding contracts as a NAB prosecutor sought time to submit a response to the defence arguments.

Earlier, Pervez Elahi appeared before the court and used a wheelchair to reach the court from his vehicle.

The PTI president’s co-suspect Muhammad Khan Bhatti, a former principal secretary to the chief minister, was also brought to the court from jail.

Bhatti’s counsel asked the court to decide the question of its jurisdiction before framing charges on the suspects.

He argued that the accountability court could not hold a trial of a person who had not received any monetary benefit.

The reference alleged that Muhammad Khan Bhatti being principal secretary to then chief minister Pevez Elahi maneuvered the award of contracts in favour of blue-eyed contractors in connivance with other suspects including officials of government departments.

It said the suspect released full payment to the contractors even before the commencement of construction work only to receive kickbacks.

Later, Pervez Elahi also appeared before a special court for anti-corruption to attend the hearing of a case about alleged illegal appointments in the Punjab Assembly.

The court issued bailable arrest warrants of co-suspect Haider Shafqat for his failure to appear in the court for October 09.

PTI President Speaking to the journalists after his appearance before an accountability court said, he and his family firmly stood with Imran Khan.

He said political instability was the result of not recognizing PTI's electoral mandate.

“Imran Khan is not only the leader of Pakistan but has now become the leader of the Muslim world,” he claimed, referring to the PTI former chairman’s 2019 speech at the United Nations.

He said the people had no choice, but to take to the streets.

Pervez Elahi said Imran Khan had already warned it that if his mistreatment continues, the workers would have no other choice.

“The public comes out for their hero on their own as he resides in their hearts,” Pervez Elahi added.

He stated that the key to politics in Pakistan was still in Imran Khan’s hands.

He expressed his hope that the clouds of tyranny are about to clear and added no matter how many false cases are filed against Imran Khan and PTI leaders.

He also criticized the Punjab government for its poor performance and said the welfare schemes including health card had been abolished, in enmity with Imran Khan. He said the farmers of Punjab were struggling, and no one was there to take care of them.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024