Abid Raza

Lahore: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday granted PTI President Parvez Elahi bail in a case pertaining to an alleged illegal appointment made in the Punjab Assembly during his recent stint as the chief minister.

Initially taken into custody on June 1 last year, the former Punjab CM has faced a series of releases and re-arrests, and has remained in detention ever since. The legal challenges coincided with the state’s crackdown on the PTI that followed the violent May 9 protests that saw important government and military installations vandalised.

The case at hand pertains to the alleged illegal appointment of Muhammad Khan Bhatti as the principal secretary to the chief minister during Elahi’s tenure as the Punjab CM.

However, Elahi is not expected to be released as he is still under arrest in other cases.

Today, Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhary presided over the hearing while Advocate Amir Saeed Rawn and Farman Munis appeared as Elahi’s counsels.

During the hearing, Rawn informed the court that a judicial magistrate had discharged Bhatti from the case.

He argued that the notification for Bhatti’s appointment as the principal secretary had been issued by the Punjab chief secretary before Elahi assumed the role of the CM.

Rawn said that the provincial chief secretary had not been made a respondent in the case, adding that the case was filed on a “political basis”.

Subsequently, the court granted Elahi bail against surety bonds worth Rs100,000.