LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday disposed of a prosecution’s appeal and directed a judicial magistrate to review its decision of discharging PTI President Parvez Elahi in a corruption case.

The prosecutor general filed the appeal challenging the exoneration of Elahi by the magistrate in a case of alleged corruption in funds for development schemes for Gujranwala division. The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) had registered the case.

The prosecution argued that the magistrate had no power to discharge the respondent (Elahi). It said the ACE had the authority to keep a suspect in its custody for 14 days to hold investigation and make recovery.

The appeal said the ACE itself filed a report before the magistrate to discharge the suspect if found no evidence.

However, it argued that the magistrate could not discharge a suspect.

Elahi’s counsel Amir Saeed Rawn argued that the magistrate was empowered to discharge any suspect in the absence of evidence.

He said the magistrate had to give reasons for granting or denying remand of a suspect.

Announcing a reserved verdict, Justice Sultan Tanvir Ahmad disposed of the prosecution’s appeal with a direction to the magistrate to review its decision.

The judge is yet to announce verdicts on four similar appeals of the prosecution challenging the magistrate’s decisions to discharge Elahi in as many cases.

The magistrate had discharged Elahi in cases of alleged corruption in the Lahore Master Plan 2050 and development schemes in different districts.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2023