LEGAL

Election Tribunal and FIA Cases Involving Elahi Family Make Headlines

Election Tribunal in Lahore to hear Parvez & Qaisera Elahi's petitions challenging February election results. Tehreem Elahi summoned by FIA in money laundering case.
2024-12-10
Election Tribunal and FIA Cases Involving Elahi Family Make Headlines

The Elahi family is at the center of both election-related petitions and a money laundering case. An election tribunal in Lahore heard petitions from former Chief Minister Parvez Elahi and his wife Qaisera Elahi, who are challenging the results of the February 8 elections in their respective constituencies.

The couple has filed petitions disputing the election outcomes in NA-64 (National Assembly) and PP-32 (Punjab Assembly). The petitions claim discrepancies in the results, particularly focusing on the alteration of results from Form 45 to Form 47 by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Qaisera Elahi alleges she secured 172,000 votes in NA-64, surpassing her nephew Salik Hussain, who contested in PP-32. However, the ECP’s official results show Mr. Hussain of PML-Q receiving 105,205 votes, while Ms. Elahi garnered 80,946 votes. Similarly, Parvez Elahi received 44,713 votes in PP-32, compared to 55,615 votes for Hussain, who later vacated the provincial assembly seat to join the National Assembly.

Both petitioners have asked the tribunal to annul the official notifications declaring their opponents as winners in the constituencies. The tribunal, presided over by retired justice Mehboob Maqbool Bajwa, has asked the petitioners’ lawyers to first present arguments on the maintainability of the petitions. The hearing was adjourned until January 13.

In another case, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has summoned Tehreem Elahi, the wife of former federal minister Moonis Elahi, in connection with an ongoing money laundering investigation. The FIA claims that the Elahi family, including Moonis and his relatives, used a low-level employee of the Punjab Assembly, Qaiser Iqbal Bhatti, to launder money through his bank accounts. The FIA has traced millions of rupees in unexplained transactions involving the peon’s accounts and the Elahi family’s assets.

Tehreem Elahi’s legal team had requested the court for a permanent exemption from appearing in person, alleging that the case was politically motivated and that there was no criminal evidence against the family. However, Judge Salman Ghumman has directed Tehreem Elahi to appear in court for the initial hearings before any decision on the exemption request. The case will be heard again on January 6, with the court reiterating the requirement for her personal attendance.

Moonis Elahi has already been declared a proclaimed offender in the case, with the FIA continuing its investigation into the financial transactions and the involvement of the Elahi family in the alleged money laundering activities.

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