Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Parvez Elahi was arrested by anti-corruption officials from Lahore outside his home, a local TV reported on Thursday.
The former Punjab chief minister was taken into custody by the anti-corruption personnel after pulling over his car near Zahoor Elahi’s residence in Lahore’s Gulberg area.
Elahi’s spokesperson has confirmed the development.
The development came after an anti-corruption court last week discarded his interim bail over his failure to appear before the court citing health issues.
His arrest was required in the Rs70 million corruption case related to the embezzlement of development funds allocated for the Gujrat district.
The anti-corruption court judge also declared Elahi’s medical certificate bogus which claimed that he had been experiencing chest pain.
The anti-corruption spokesperson in a statement said Elahi was taken into custody while trying to flee and added that he was wanted in various corruption cases.
The spokesperson also said that Elahi was arrested as his bail was discarded by the court for submitting a fake medical certificate.
In a statement to the police, Elahi’s driver said the PTI leader was fleeing to Gilgit Baltistan along with a convoy of four vehicles.
He said Elahi was not travelling in a bulletproof vehicle and added that police tried to break the car’s window after the PTI president refused to open the door.
Speaking to the TV, Punjab caretaker Information Minister Amir Mir said Elahi was wanted by the anti-corruption police in a graft case.
He said the PTI president was fleeing from his residence when the police intercepted his vehicle and took him into custody.
The minister added that resistance was put up during the arrest but the police managed to arrest him.
