Elahi’s ‘aide’ escapes from police custody

LAHORE: In a dramatic incident, Sohail Asghar, a suspect in corruption investigations against former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, escaped from the custody of anti-corruption police on Wednesday in Gujranwala.

Asghar was being transported from a police station to a hospital after he complained of feeling ill when unidentified suspects intercepted the police van near the General Bus Stand, got hold of him and fled. He is accused of awarding development project contracts to his preferred contractors after offering a bribe to Elahi, then chief minister.

The FIR claims that Elahi paid a contract’s advance payment of Rs20 billion after taking a Rs 2 billion bribe. Nine people have been charged, including Sohail Asghar, the frontman for Elahi, and contractor Tariq.

According to the FIR, Elahi allegedly accepted a sizeable bribe when deciding who would get the contract to build a 29-kilometre stretch of road. Those accused in the case include Sub-Engineer Salman Ahmed, DEO Ashfaq Hamad, XEN Highway Azmat Hayat, Tariq and others.

According to the ACE, Asghar escaped from the custody of its Gujranwala officials and a case has been registered. Teams have been formed to arrest him. Meanwhile, after the escape of Sohail Asghar from the custody of ACE, the former minister and PTI leader Moonis Elahi tweeted on social media: “Unknown persons have now started picking up people even from police custody.” He further mentioned in his tweet, “Whenever Sohail Asghar appeared in the court and was acquitted of the case, he was immediately arrested in a new case.” “Now when Sohail will be returned, a false case of absconding will be filed against him along with other fake cases,” he added on his social media account.