A court of responsibility of Lahore granted permanent exemption from the appearance to the former chief minister of Punjab, Pervaiz Elahi, in a reference of corruption and bribes linked to development projects in Gujrat, said New Express on Thursday.
The court granted the exemption for medical reasons and appointed Anwar Hussain as an Elahi litigant to appear on his behalf during the procedure.
Elahi’s litigant appeared in court, while former principal secretary Muhammad Khan Bhatti was absent.
The court postponed the hearing due to the absence of other accused in the case.
The reference lightens financial irregularities in Gujrat’s development projects during Elahi’s mandate.
Last month, a court of responsibility officially charged Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi in a reference by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) linked to alleged corruption in development projects.
Elahi appeared before the court to refuse the accusations, which include the reception of bribes through its former main secretary, Muhammad Khan Bhatti.
The reference lightens that Bhatti facilitated the appointments of privileged officials in the department of the Punjab motorway to execute the program.
During the hearing, court staff finished Elahi’s attendance in his vehicle, where he signed the accusation.
Judge Zubair Shehzad Kiyani presided over the session, declaring that the delays caused by the accused’s tactics had required a progressive accusation process.
Several other co-accused, including Bhatti, have already been charged.
The NAB says that Elahi, alongside his son Moonis Elahi, orchestrated the program, taking bribes under the guise of development initiatives in Gujrat.
The court expressed its frustration by the recurring medical exemptions filed by the defense, which has often disrupted the procedure.