- Former Punjab CM granted exemption for one day on medical grounds
LAHORE: The Accountability Court (AC) Lahore on Saturday summoned former Punjab chief minister and PTI President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on January 7 for indictment in the case of allegedly receiving kickbacks in development projects.
Accountability Court Judge Zubair Shehzad Kiyani presided over the proceedings while Advocate Ch Nawaz represented Ch Pervaiz Elahi and Prosecutor Waris Ali Janjua appeared on behalf of the state.
During the hearing, the judge inquired about Ch Pervaiz Elahi’s absence. At which, Ch Nawaz, the counsel for the PTI President, informed the court that his client had slipped in the bathroom last evening and had suffered injuring in the back and ankle. He added that doctors have put him in nappies, and he cannot even use the bathroom independently.
He submitted an application requesting exemption from today’s hearing, citing his deteriorating health and doctors’ advice for rest. The lawyer requested the court grant a one-day exemption.
Prosecutor Waris Ali Janjua opposed the exemption request and accused the ex-chief minister of making “lame excuses” at every hearing to avoid indictment. The prosecutor argued that charges could still be framed against the accused present in court.
In his written order, the judge said there were difficulties in marking the suspects in the case present since not all of them appeared in the court on the same date. “The court does not want more delay in the case,” he wrote.
The order states that the court believes that charges should be framed against the accused in their presence, adding that the indictment procession will not be delayed any further.
At the previous hearing, the judge had exempted Muhammad Khan Bhatti from appearance in the court on medical grounds. “Today, I have granted an exemption to Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi for a day.”
“Therefore today, the court indicts Muhammad Khan Bhatti, Khalid Mehmood Chattha, Asif Mehmood, Naeem Iqbal, Muhammad Asghar and Asad Ali,” wrote the judge.
However, Muhammad Khan Bhatti’s lawyer opposed this, stating that separate indictments for co-accused are not lawful without the principal accused Ch Pervaiz Elahi. He also suggested that Pervaiz Elahi’s pleader could represent him during the indictment.
