Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was arrested from outside his residence in Lahore on Thursday in connection with a corruption case, reported Pakistani media Geo News. The former Punjab chief minister was apprehended by anti-corruption officers after pulling over near Zahoor Elahi's apartment in Lahore's Gulberg district. The arrest comes after an anti-corruption court last week revoked his temporary release for failing to appear in court due to health difficulties.
"Shameful how the regime doesn't stop their fascism. The inflation has skyrocketed to 38%, and their response is arresting former CM Punjab Parvez Elahi. Absolutely ridiculous!" the party tweeted after Ilahi's arrest.
They also shared a video in which the 77-year-old leader was seen being dragged by security personnel from his residence.
Punjab caretaker Information Minister Amir Mir confirmed the arrest to Geo News and said that the former provincial chief executive was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Establishment with the help of police.
He also clarified that Pervaiz Elahi like several other PTI members was not arrested on allegations of their involvement in vandalism on May 9 but his bail was dismissed in a corruption case. "He was wanted and has been arrested while trying to escape," Mir said, as reported by Dawn.
In an interview to DawnNewsTV, Mir said that authorities were keeping an eye on Elahi and that his residence had been “cordoned off” for the past several days as part of the strategy to arrest him.
PTI spokesperson Iqbal Chaudhry alleged that authorities also "misbehaved” with women accompanying Elahi, while leaving his house in a car.
Elahi, who was a close aide of military dictator General Pervez Musharraf, was appointed as the president of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in March this year after quitting his former party - the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), reported news agency PTI.