Moonis Elahi

Shatrughan Sinha calls on Ch Shujat Hussain, Ch Parvez Elahi and Moonis Elahi

2012-01-19T12:39:00.001+05:00

A grand reception for Moonis Elahi in Gujrat

2012-01-18T10:23:00.000+05:00

Moonis Elahi leaves for London for condolence on the death of his Father in Law

2011-10-25T14:11:00.000+05:00

Moonis Elahi leaves for London

2011-10-25T14:03:00.001+05:00

LAHORE. Moonis Elahi, senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League and son of former Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, left here on Monday for London alongwith his family. Moonis Elahi was acquitted by a Sessions Court in Lahore a few days ago in the NICL scam case.

Sources said that he has gone to London on a family visit. It may be recalled that Moonis Elahi was on a visit to London when a case against him was registered about his alleged involvement in NICL case. After the case, he returned from London to face the court proceedings.

Moonis Elahi declared innocent in NICL case

2011-10-22T12:37:00.003+05:00

Moonis Elahi’s acquittalreflects freedom of judiciary: Ch Shujat

LAHORE:PML-Q President, Senator Ch Shujat Hussain on Friday said his family had alwaysreposed confidence in the free judiciary and Moonis Elahi’s acquittal wasreflective of freedom of judiciary and victory of truth over fiction.

Talkingto the jubilant Leaguers and workers on the release of Moonis Elahi at hisresidence here, he said our heads are bowed before the Almighty Allah on MPAMoonis Elahi’s acquittal, adding that PML-Q was equally thankful to thejudiciary.

Withreference to free judiciary in the country, Ch Shujat Hussain said Moonisreturned to the country fearlessly after he heard of the false cases againsthim, adding that he had complete faith in the integrity of institutions in thecountry.

SeniorPML-Q leader, Federal Minister Ch Pervaiz Elahi, PML-Q leaders Ch WajahatHussain, Ch Shafat Hussain and Rasikh Elahi have thanked the leaguers for theirconstant support and steadfastness during Moonis Elahi’s trial.

Zafar Qureshi is deliberately obstructing the course of justice to prolong Moonis Elahi’s incarceration. Moonis Elahi’s defence lawyer

2011-09-19T10:41:00.000+05:00

Lahore(17 September 2011) District and Sessions JudgeMujahid Mustaqeem as Special Judge Banking Court today on the FIA’s 15 dayextension request has adjourned the NICL case hearing till September 26. MoonisElahi’s lawyer Amjad Parvez opposing the FIA’s 15 day extension request onlegal grounds accused the investigation agency of blatantly wasting the court’stime and violating its orders. He further accused the FIA of deliberatelyobstructing the course of justice to prolong Moonis Elahi’s incarceration.

Moonis Elahi’s defence lawyer citing examples of the delaying tactics employedby the FIA said that on Zafar Qureshi’s Aug 18 request asking the court for anadditional one month for further investigation the court gave him time tillSeptember 6, on Sept 6 in response to the FIA’s demand for further time for theappointment of a prosecutor the court allowed the FIA further grace time tillSeptember 17 but the FIA had neither appointed a prosecutor and nor hadpurportedly completed its investigation.

He said that Zafar Qureshi’s requestfor a further 15 day extension to present the final challan was illegal as twochallans of the same case could not be presented. He demanded the court toorder Zafar Qureshi to apprize the court as to why the FIA had failed toappoint a prosecutor and present the final challan thus far. He asked to beinformed that if the FIA had still not appointed a prosecutor then who waspresenting the interim challan, producing new witnesses and asking the court onZafar Qureshi’s behalf for further time relaxation.

He wanted to know theantecedents of the individual presently appearing on behalf of the FIA and ifhe was not a prosecutor. The court in its decision ordered the FIA to presentthe final challan and the new prosecutor on September 26 failing which thecourt ruled that it could call Zafar Qureshi.

Instead of blowing his own horn Shahbaz Sharif should do something concrete for dengue elimination: Moonis Elahi

2011-09-09T09:44:00.000+05:00

Lahore (September 8,2011) Senior leader Pakistan Muslim League Moonis Elahi in a press statementreleased in Lahore today strongly criticized the Punjab government for thedengue outbreak in the province and especially in the provincial metropolis. Heheld Shahbaz Sharif personally responsible for the deaths caused due to denguevirus in the province. He accused the Punjab chief minister of being toooccupied in blowing his own horn when he should have been actually doingsomething concrete to eradicate the dengue menace. Historians will remember theself-proclaimed Khadim e Ala as one ranting and raving chief minister of Punjabwhose favorite pastime was his own trumpet blowing while the people were leftto suffer at the hands of poverty, unemployment, criminal elements and now thedengue mosquito, said Moonis Elahi.

He called upon Shahbaz Sharif to quit hischeap one man show politics and provide the common man with immediate medicalrelief against the killer virus at government hospitals including the freesupply of platelets and medicines for the distressed. Moonis Elahi stated thatShahbaz Sharif government had billions to spend on Jaati Umra expressway but nomoney for dengue treatment. Strongly criticizing the sasti roti scam, Ashyanascheme, yellow cab stunt, Moonis Elahi said that Shahbaz government had donenothing for the people except launch bogus schemes and cash upon projects launchedby the PML government of Chaudhry Parvez Elahi. He further accused ShahbazSharif of missing no opportunity of self praise and projection while in realityhe had not even bothered to appoint a full time provincial health ministersince 2008. Dengue spread in the previous years should have been enough for thegovernment to get going this year for its eradication but what came out werenegligence, incompetency and sheer indifference to public problems in Punjab,stated Moonis Elahi.

He further stated that his party would expose the realfaces and actual causes behind the spread of dengue disease in the comingsession of the Punjab Assembly. We want to bring the actual culpritsresponsible for dengue outbreak in Punjab in the dock, Moonis Elahi stated at theconclusion of his statement.

Zafar Qureshi tried to dictate court: Moonis Elahi's counsel

2011-09-07T10:20:00.000+05:00

Lahore(September 06, 2011) District & Sessions JudgeMujahid Mustaqim acting in the capacity of Special Judge Banking Court hadadjourned the NICL case hearing on the FIA’s request till September 17. Earlierin today’s proceedings Moonis Elahi’s lawyer during his arguments urged the HonourableCourt that if the FIA was being unduly facilitated to appoint a new prosecutorand present a new challan then his client should also be given the due reliefdenied to him thus far.

He further argued that in Zafar Qureshi’s request tothe Honourable Court nowhere had he asked for a full month to complete theinvestigation. Moonis Elahi’s lawyer strongly objected to the language used byZafar Qureshi in his letter addressed to the Honourable Court. He said that thetone and tanner of the said letter was such that it seemed Zafar Qureshi wasgiving orders to the court and doing so was in his jurisdiction.

He said thataccording to contents of the said letter the Honourable Court was nothing morethan a post office. The Honourable Court reprimanded the FIA officials forcontinuously changing the agency’s representative in the course of the proceedings.The Honourable Court instructed the FIA to appoint a permanent representative tobe present in the proceedings. On the Court’s inquiry that how much more timedid the FIA require to complete the investigation, the FIA officials forwardedan application requesting for one month to complete the task.

Later talking to the media,Moonis Elahi’s lawyer Rai Bashir Ahmad accused Zafar Qureshi of taking undueadvantages of the importance given to him by Supreme Court. He further accusedZafar Qureshi of leveraging the Supreme Court’s importance to dictate his ownorders to the Lower Courts. He alleged Zafar Qureshi of blackmailing the courtsand said that this was neither in the judiciary’s interest nor in the interestof the public. He said that Moonis Elahi to express his faith in the country’slaw and the judiciary’s capacity to dispense justice had returned voluntarilyfrom England which had no extradition treaty signed with Pakistan. A largenumber of Pakistan Muslim League’s supporters were present in the courtthroughout the day’s proceedings where senior leader of Pakistan Muslim LeagueMoonis Elahi was brought in an armored vehicle amid high security.

Moonis Elahi moves Supreme Court for early hearing of review petition

2011-09-06T10:28:00.000+05:00

September 5, 2011

Moonis Elahi, senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League and son of senior federalminister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, on Monday filed an application in the SupremeCourt seeking an early hearing of his pending review petition.

He prayed the court to fix his review petition along with his stay applicationfor September 9 to meet the ends of justice. The petitioner contended that ifhis review petition was not heard along with his stay application at an earlydate, he would suffer irreparable losses and injury to his person as well asreputation, as the hearing of these matters after completion of wrongful,biased, incorrect and inimical investigation would render the fate of thesematters before the court infructuous and thus the ends of justice would befrustrated.

On August 18, Moonis filed a review petition against the Supreme Court’sverdict of August 8 wherein the apex court reassigned the NICL scam investigationto Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Additional Director General Zafar AhmedQureshi. On August 8, the Supreme Court had quashed the suspension order ofZafar Qureshi and directed him to resume his task in recovering the lootedmoney. The court had directed Zafar Qureshi to carry out investigation of thecase and asked him to complete the investigation of the cases expeditiously. Inhis review petition on August 18, Moonis contended that the Supreme Court’sdecision of reassigning the NICL scam investigation to Zafar Qureshi was madewithout hearing his contentions, reservations and point of view, which wasagainst the norms of justice. Thus, he had contended that the decision neededto be reviewed in the best interest of justice.

Moonis Elahi challenges Zafar Qureshi’s reposting

2011-08-19T11:45:00.000+05:00

ISLAMABAD - Moonis Elahi has challenged the Supreme Court’s decision for reassigning NICL case investigation to Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officer Zafar Qureshi.

Moonis Elahi, who is a PML-Q leader and son of Ch Pervaiz Elahi, is the main accused in the National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) scam.

On Thursday, he filed the review petition through Babar Awan against the apex court’s decision to repost FIA Additional Director General Zafar Qureshi in the multi-billion rupee scam. The sources told The Nation that former law minister and PPP leader Babar Awan, in his capacity as a counsel of Moonis, would file two more petitions in the Supreme Court in order to prevent Zafar Qureshi from investigating NICL scam.

In his Thursday’s plea he prayed the court to remove Qureshi as head of the investigation team, claiming that Qureshi may not investigate the case impartially because on February 17, 2011 he had filed a written statement at the Supreme Court stating Moonis Elahi was threatening him. Therefore, it was unlikely that Qureshi would conduct an unbiased investigation, he added.

Babar contended that the court had reposted Zafar Qureshi to investigate NICL case without hearing his point of view which was against the interest of the justice and Article 10A of the constitution. He pleaded the court to admit his review petition for hearing his stance. He said his client has expressed confidence in all the members of the investigation team except Qureshi. The counsel also requested that the court should stop the investigation of the case till the decision on review petition.

The court on August 8 had quashed the federal government’s order regarding the suspension of FIA ADG Zafar Qureshi and directed him to resume NICL probe forthwith and complete the inquiry expeditiously.

The hearing of Moonis Elahi’s acquittal petition in the NICL case has been adjourned to 6 September

2011-08-19T11:43:00.000+05:00

Lahore (August 18, 2011) The hearing of Moonis Elahi’s acquittal petition in the NICL case has been adjourned to 6 September on the request of Additional Director General FIA Zaffar Qureshi. Today as soon as the NICL case hearing began in the court of District Judge Mujahid Mustaqeem, FIA’s Zaffar Qureshi moved a written request asking for a one month adjournment. The learned judge after a short suspension of proceedings accepted Zaffar Qureshi’s request. On this unexpected decision, Moonis Elahi’s lawyers argued that the adjournment of the acquittal petition was a clear violation of the written order dated 18 May 2011 of a three member Supreme Court Bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry according to which the courts were fully independent in trying Moonis Elahi and they were not to be influenced by the trial of the NICL case in the Supreme Court. The said order was issued on the request that Moonis Elahi was not getting his due legal relief because the NICL case was also being heard in the Supreme Court, further argued Moonis Elahi’s lawyers.

Rai Bashir Ahmed advocate arguing in the court said that in his 40 years of legal experience never before had an investigation officer ordered the court to grant him one month period for investigation. The investigation officer of the said case is Chaudhry Ashgar who is still to appear in the court, pleaded Moonis Elahi’s lawyer. He further pleaded that Zaffar Qureshi had deliberately misinformed the court about being unable to complete the investigation due to his transfer on April 18, 2011. He argued that Zaffar Qureshi on March 21, 2011 had informed the honourable court of having completed investigations in two cases and of submitting final case challans. He said that the court should take action against Zaffar Qureshi for furnishing false information to the court. Moonis Elahi’s defence lawyer accused the FIA of turning the case into a personal feud after failing to bring up anything against his client. Later talking to the media, Moonis Elahi’s team of defence lawyers said that they would contest today’s decision right up to the Supreme Court. They particularly pointed out at the honourable judge’s unwarranted suspension of today’s court proceedings twice for 10 and 45 minutes respectively and for staying in the retiring room without specifying any reason.

Earlier, Moonis Elahi was brought amid tight security to the court. A large number of PML workers had come to show their solidarity with the incarcerated leader including Abdullah Yousaf Warraich, Aamna Ulfat, Samina Khawar Hayyat, Seemal Kamran, Umer Farooq Dar.

An open letter of Mr. Moonis Elahi, Addressed to All Pakistanis Including the Ideological Workers of Pakistan Muslim League

2011-08-17T14:52:00.000+05:00

An open letter of Mr. Moonis Elahi, Senior Central Leader Pakistan Muslim League

Addressed to All Pakistanis Including the Ideological Workers of Pakistan Muslim League (the Party Which Founded Pakistan)

Mian Nawaz Sharif’s statement on the eve of Pakistan’s 65^th Independence Day, pronouncing the Indian gods and culture similar as that of Pakistan is not only a sinister move to undermine the Two Nation theory but also a deliberate attempt at nullifying the sacrifices of countless Muslims for the creation of Pakistan. It is apparent from his views that the Indian contract for weakening Pakistan’s ideological foundations has been awarded to “Sharif Brothers & Co” who have their head offices located at Jaati Umra of Amritsar, India and their sub-office at Jaati Umra, Raiwind.

It is a great historical fact and an undeniable reality that Pakistan was created in the name of Islam. The Muslims of the Sub-continent struggled for independence under the leadership of the Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah to live in a society that believed in one God unlike the Hindus who worshipped several gods and goddesses. “The Muslims are a separate nation from the Hindus. Our religion, history, culture, architecture, ways of living and eating habits are diametrically opposed to them”, said the Quaid.

But today, a Pakistani politician who claims to head a faction of Muslim League (the very party which founded Pakistan) has the audacity to challenge the very ethos of Pakistan. What a shame, and that too at a time when the nation is going through the toughest period in its history.

Ironically, in the same speech delivered before his Indian guests, the self-styled “amir ul momineen” while enumerating the similarities between Muslims of Pakistan and the predominantly Hindu India identified the dish of “potatoes and meat” (aalu gosht) as one great similarity. One does not have words to condemn this most fickle exercise at finding commonalities between the two most diverse faiths and nations. If “aalu gosht” is what MNS considers as a binding force between India and Pakistan then he should have kept in mind that the meat Indians relish the most is that of the innocent Kashmiri Mussalmans.

The founding fathers of Pakistan must be turning in their graves at this most preposterous and horrific statement made by a Pakistani politician.

We, Pakistanis have suffered tremendous political and financial blows at the hands of Sharif Brothers and Co and they have been getting away with them, but this time round it will be unpatriotic to let them go Scot free. It is now time to put Nawaz Sharif in the dock and the charge should be of staging treason against the Ideology of Pakistan and hatching a conspiracy against the people of Pakistan. I will end my statement with words of a senior Pakistani journalist known for his patriotic views who said “if Nawaz Sharif has such soft corner for Hindus then he should shift his Jaati Umra residence to Amritsar”.

An open letter of Mr. Moonis Elahi, Addressed to All Pakistanis including the Ideological Workers of Pakistan Muslim League

2011-08-17T14:49:00.000+05:00

Moonis Elahi case adjourned until August 18

2011-08-17T14:45:00.000+05:00

LAHORE : August 16

HEARING of the National Insurance Corporation Limited (NICL) scam against Moonis Elahi and others has been adjourned until August 18 as the judge concerned, Mujahid Mustaqeem, is on leave. On Tuesday, counsel for the Federal Investigating Agency (FIA) had to record arguments before District and Sessions Judge Mujahid Mustaqeem on an application filed by Moonis Elahi, seeking his acquittal in the case under 265-K of CrPC.

NICL scam: Moonis Elahi's case adjourned till 16th August

2011-08-15T11:15:00.002+05:00

LAHORE: District and Sessions Judge Mujahid Mustaqeem adjourned till August 16, the hearing NICL land scam case of Chaudhary Moonis Elahi as his counsel completed arguments on acquittal application of FIR no 46/10 on Saturday.Appearing before the court Advocate Amjad Pervaiz the counsel of Chaudhary Moonis Elahi accused of National Insurance Company Limited land scam argued and tried to prove that Moonis Elahi the son of former Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhary Parvaiz Elahi had nothing to do with the land scam of NICL.He argued that all the witnesses of the case who had recorded their statements against Ch. Moonis had denied any sort of involvement of Moonis Elahi in above said scam. He argued that the letter written by Deputy Director FIA to the director FIA about any role of Chaudhary Moonis Elahi in the scam revealed that Moonis was not involve in it. Pervaiz Said repeated all the arguments put in front of special magistrate of banking court Malik Abudur Rasheed.

He said that the statements recorded under section 161 of Penal code could not prove allegations leveled against Moonis as they all refused to say anything which could identify implication of Moonis in land scam of NICL.‘Total amount was paid back to NICL’ he said, adding that ‘admittedly there is no allegations neither I nor my family gave him instruction to transfer said money and admittedly at the time of occurrence of NICL scam neither I nor my family held the portfolio in the management of NICL’.

He further said that the statements of PW4 in case and IO of the scam had so much significance which showed that the case against Moonis was case of no evidence.A number of people including lawyers, media men and supporters of PML-Q leader Chaudhary Moonis Elahi were present in the court. Proceeding started at 12:20 pm and continued for almost two hours. Amjad Pervaiz, the counsel of Chaudhary Moonis Elahi fought well and put every thing related and to the point about the case to prove that his client was not involved in it but FIA got him involved on malafied intentions.

He completed his arguments on the case based on FIR number 46/10.The Judge adjourned the hearing till August 16 and FIA officials would appear and argue on the case.

Hearing of Moonis Elahi's case adjourned till August 13.

2011-08-12T11:10:00.000+05:00

Lahore (11 August 2011) District and Sessions Judge Lahore, Mujahid Mustaqeem has adjourned the hearing of Senior Pakistan Muslim League Leader Moonis Elahi’s acquittal petition in the NICL case to August 13. Earlier Moonis Elahi was brought to the court today in an armored vehicle and amid tight security. When Moonis Elahi stepped out of the vehicle he was greeted by a large gathering of PML workers who were chanting slogans highlighted their young leader’s innocence and courage. Moonis Elahi waved back to the crowd with a victory sign.

At the start of the proceedings Moonis Elahi’s lawyers Rai Bashir Ahmad, Amjad Parvez and Misbah-ur-Rehman Advocates presented the case details to the honourable court. On Moonis Elahi’s acquittal petition filed u/s 249-A, his defence lawyer said that the conspiracy hatched by the FIA to implicate Moonis Elahi in the NICL case had failed miserably.

They said that Moonis Elahi’s name was not in the FIR the prosecution witnesses by testifying to his innocence had also busted the FIA plot. They said that the investigation officer, deputy director FIA Basharat Shahazad had also stated the court that Moonis Elahi had no link with the NICL case. On these grounds the defence lawyers of Moonis Elahi asked the honourable court to accept the acquittal petition of their client. Commenting on the request the honourable court said that the matter would be considered in the next hearing. Later talking to the media Moonis Elahi’s lawyer Rai Bashir Ahmad informed that the acquittal petition could not be discussed today as the Honourable Judge had to attend another important meeting. We want the court to convene a daily hearing of the case and decide according to prescribed law, said Moonis Elahi’s defence lawyer.

An Open Letter by Moonis Elahi

2011-08-01T17:31:00.000+05:00

An Open Letter by Moonis Elahi

Addressed to the President, Prime Minister, Parliamentarians, National Newspapers and Tv Channels in Response to Rehman Malik’s Tableeghi Jamaat Comments

Lahore (30 July 2011) Moonis Elahi the incarcerated central leader of Pakistan Muslim League has sent a strong worded message to the president, prime minister, parliamentarians, editors and bosses of national dailies and television channels in condemnation of the recently made insinuating remarks of Federal Interior Minister, Mr. Rehman Malik about Tableeghi Jamaat -a trans-national Islamic spiritual reformation movement. The following is the full text of his letter:

Dear Sir/s

I did not feel as much perturbed on being framed in a false case as I felt after hearing the Federal Interior Minister, Mr. Rehman Malik’s poisonous comments on the role of Tableeghi Jamaat, made recently in London. Although, this is not the first time that Mr. Malik has come in the lime light for his ‘loose talk’ but this time his comments have not only caused great pain to the Muslims of Pakistan but have also proven to be a source of bitter anguish for the global Muslim community at large. As a Muslim, I feel that it is my religious right and obligation to respond to Mr. Malik’s sullied and irresponsible comments before somebody out of his mind starts taking such nonsensical comments seriously.

As we all know that Tableeghi Jamaat is a trans-national religious movement which primarily aims at Islamic spiritual reformation by working at the grass roots, reaching out to Muslims across all social and economic spectra. This movement has promoted peace and harmony across the world and has always condemned evils like terrorism and sectarianism in unequivocal terms. It is a fact known to everyone that despite holding the second largest congregation of Muslims in the world after Hajj one cannot find a single incident where any of the organizers or participants has ever been allowed to bring fire arms at the congregation venue. It is also an acknowledged fact that millions of Tableeghi Jamaat members have travelled the world far and wide and never has any foreign government or an important foreign dignitary ever held their activities questionable. Even after the 9/11 debacle in the aftermath of which names of many extremist individuals and outfits came to the fore at no occasion was Tableeghi Jamaat branded among them.

Contd. on Page 2

I have no hesitation in saying that Mr. Rehman Malik’s comments have not only hurt the sentiments of the Muslims of Pakistan but have also rendered an irreparable blow to the country’s reputation abroad. If by associating the despicable terms of ‘terrorism and brainwashing’ with a peaceful Islamic movement like Tableeghi Jamaat, Mr. Malik’s intent was to please any worldly power then he should know that casting such aspersions mean nothing to those who place Allah Above All.

I appeal the Honorable President and Prime Minister of the Islamic Democratic Republic of Pakistan to immediately take serious notice of the Federal Interior Minister’s irresponsible remarks. I also appeal the two Excellencies to contemplate promulgation of immediate steps to prevent repetition of such unfortunate incidents in future. And last but not least, I also appeal to the country’s high-ups to particularly ‘Control’ Mr. Rehman Malik from hurting the nation’s sentiments and from repeatedly embarrassing the country and in this particular case the Muslim Ummah by his reckless and irresponsible statements.

Humbly Yours,

Moonis Elahi

Jawed Iqbal Cartoonist Predication about Moonis Elahi

2011-07-13T16:52:00.000+05:00

Ch. Shujaat Hussain accepts Nawaz Sharif's debate challenge in National Assembly

2011-07-12T11:08:00.000+05:00

ISLAMABAD (INP) - PML-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has accepted the challenge by the PML-N to debate in the National Assembly the corruption allegations against Moonis Elahi. Since the deal between Warraich family and the NICL had been cancelled, there was no substance in the propaganda launched by PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif against Moonis Elahi, he said.

In an exclusive interview with INP news agency, Shujaat said the PML-Q had not been provided any opportunity to be heard properly at any forum which was against the principles of justice.

He said since day one, they were clear indications that this campaign had been launched by the Sharif family. “Now their claim to debate the issue in the National Assembly will unmask their real face.”

“The propaganda against Moonis was so strong and well-planned that no court was ready to listen to the version of my family,” Shujaat said, adding: “But the PML-N’s claim to debate the issue in parliament would also provide us an opportunity to establish facts against the fiction.”
Shujaat argued how justice could be done if the defendant was not properly heard and only fiction had been preferred to facts.

About his party’s alliance with the ruling PPP, he said his party was looking for a long-term strategic partnership with the PPP and despite some difficulties, it would opt for seat adjustments with the ruling party in next elections

NICL Scam and the innocence of Moonis Elahi

2011-07-12T11:04:00.000+05:00

Banking Court Judge on Moonis Elahi’s acquittal request unexpectedly sends case to LHC

2011-07-07T12:15:00.000+05:00

Unprecedented partiality shown by the learned judge

We have full faith in LHC Chief Justice: Moonis Elahi’s Lawyers

Lahore (05-07-2011) During the hearing of the acquittal petition of Moonis Elahi the senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League in the NICL case today the Banking Court Judge Abdul Rasheed unexpectedly refused to further hear the case and sent it to Chief Justice Lahore High Court. Moonis Elahi’s lawyers expressing their strong dissatisfaction on this decision said that the law had not been followed and the learned judge before taking the decision neither heard their arguments nor considered the superior courts’ earlier judgments that had been put before him.

At the outset of the hearing which instead of morning began at 2pm Moonis Elahi’s lawyers requested the learned judge to take into account the fact that all the eight prosecution witnesses and the FIA’s Investigating Officer had testified to Moonis Elahi’s innocence. Later talking to the media Moonis Elahi’s lawyers Rai Bashir Ahmad and Amjad Parvez said that the attitude of the learned judge from the beginning of the proceedings was inflexible and a test of their nerves. They said that today the learned court was to hear Moonis Elahi’s acquittal petition filed under CRPC 249/A and as a guide line they had also presented the Supreme Court and High Court decisions in this regard as references but the learned judge started putting new questions to Mohammad Maalik instead. On being pointed out that questioning Mohammad Maalik was outside the scope of the acquittal petition the learned judge angrily closed the file and declared that he didn’t want to hear the case and was sending it to Chief Justice, Lahore High Court, said Moonis Elahi’s lawyers. They said that the lawyers had sacrificed their lives and well being for the supremacy of the judiciary but the learned judge’s demeanour today nullified these sacrifices. Moonis Elahi’s lawyers said that the partial behaviour demonstrated by the learned judge today was unprecedented. They said that the learned court could see that the case had clearly gone in Moonis Elahi’s favour and that the FIA had failed to prove his involvement. In this situation there was no other recourse available to the court but to acquit Moonis Elahi, opined the lawyers. It will be a matter of honour if the Lahore High Court Chief Justice hears the case as we have full confidence in him, the lawyers added.

Throughout today’s proceedings a very large number of PML workers and Moonis Elahi supporters remained outside the court and continued to chant slogans in their leader’s favour.

Moonis Elahi files acquittal appeal in Banking Court

2011-07-02T10:49:00.000+05:00

LAHORE: PML-Q leader Moonis Elahi on Friday filed an application in the Banking Offences Court under Section 249-A CrPC, seeking his acquittal in the NICL case.

As per Section 249-A of CrPC, a court can acquit an accused at any stage of the case, if, after hearing the prosecutor and the accused and for reasons to be recorded, it considers that the charges are groundless or that there is no probability of the accused being convicted of any offence.

On Friday, the counsel of Moonis submitted an application in the court contending that all the prosecution witnesses in the scam against Moonis had denied recording of any statement against his client. He said that the trial was a wastage of time both for the court as well as his client as prosecution had failed to level charges against his client. He said that his client was innocent and was implicated only on political grounds.

Previously, eight prosecution witnesses while recording their statements before a magisterial court of Irfan Basra had denied recording of any statement as witness before the FIA. Before the banking court, they had denied opening of any account by Moonis Elahi’s manager Muhammad Maalik and stated that the accounts in question were personally opened and operated by two individuals, namely Adil Manzur and Khadim Rasul.

3 more witnesses deny recording statements against Moonis Elahi

2011-06-29T11:10:00.000+05:00

Lahore (June 28, 2011) The remaining three prosecution witnesses presented by the FIA today in Lahore Banking Court in the NICL case like the five other prosecution witnesses have also refuted the charges leveled against senior Pakistan Muslim League Leader Moonis Elahi. Earlier during the proceedings the cashier of UBL, Airport Branch, Lahore Safdar Ali testifying before the Honorable Judge Malik Abdur Raheed stated that it was Adil Manzoor who had come to the bank with a cheque and taken the money. He further stated that the FIA had summoned him on Feb-05 where he had not recorded any statement.

The second prosecution witness was ABL, Multan Road Branch Vice President Maroor-ur-Rehman who stated that a man named Khadim Rasool had himself come to the bank and opened the account. He further stated that it was Khadim Rasool who later brought a cheque and took the cash. During investigation I was summoned by the FIA but I had not given any statement to them, testified the ABL Vice President. The third prosecution witness Hafiz Shahid Bilal the cashier at ABL Multan Road Branch also testified that it was only Khadim Rasool who used to come to the branch with cheques for encashment and he had given Khadim Rasool money after his identification. Both the bank cashiers informed the court that they could recognize Adil Manzoor and Khadim Rasool. On the Honorable Judge’s query Hafiz Junaid Shahid after looking at the individuals present in the court room testified that none of them was Khadim Rasool. The bank cashiers also stated that money was only handed over to M/s Adil Manzoor and Khadim Rasool after checking their National Identification cards. After the witnesses’ statements the Honorable Judge adjourned the court hearing till July-5. Earlier Moonis Elahi was brought amid heavy security to the Banking Court where a large number of Pakistan Muslim League’s workers and Moonis Elahi supporters had assembled to express solidarity with him.

FIA Investigation Officer denies Moonis involvement in NICL scam case

2011-06-23T11:30:00.000+05:00

Thursday, June 23, 2011

LAHORE

The FIA deputy director and investigation officer (IO) of National Industrial Corporation Limited (NICL) land scam on Wednesday denied Moonis Elahi’s involvement in the main fraud case of Rs.168 billion.

During his testimony before special banking offences court, the FIA director, Basharat Shahzad, stated that Moonis was not directly involved in subsequent two fraud cases of Rs.320 million.

Meanwhile, another prosecution witness, Hina Rabbai, an employee of the Allied Bank Limited, Multan Road branch, also denied recording of any statement as witness before the FIA. On Wednesday, FIA produced Moois Elahi before the court amid tight security.

The FIA deputy director, during cross examination, said that Moonis was not involved in NICL main scam of Rs. 1.68 billion. The whole embezzled amount had also been returned to Commerce secretary, he added.

On this, Moonis counsel asked if his client was also involved in other two FIRs(24/10 and 46/11) related to the scam.

Replying to Moonis counsel, Bashart said that Moonis was not directly involved in both FIRs. He stated that, after getting a questionnaire from Moonis, he had written a letter to the FIA director general that Moonis was not directly involved in both of the subsequent FIRs.

Meanwhile, Hinna Rabbani, while recording her statement, said that FIA had called her on February 5 at about 9pm in FIA office, asking her to record her statement as witness against Moonis but she had not recorded any statement against him.

Summoning further prosecution witnesses, the court adjourned the hearing by June 28.

According to the FIA, Moonis had opened bogus accounts in the name of his manager Abdul Malik and his wife for corruption in NICL.

Later, the FIA lodged two FIRs against Moonis Elahi, alleging that his manger Muhammad Malik had opened forged accounts in Allied Bank Limited, New Airport, and Dubai Islamic Bank Main Boulevard branch. Mohsin Warriach deposited Rs. 320 million, 220 million in first account and 100 million in second account. First FIR was registered on December 27, 2010 while the second was lodged on January 27 this year.

The FIA alleged that the money was actually taken by Moonis Elahi. As per FIA report, Malik had stated that he had opened an account on the instruction of Moonis and an amount of Rs.220 million was allegedly transferred in that account. Later, Malik was resiled from his statement. Eight prosecution witnesses while recoding their statements before a magisterial court also denied recording any statement as witness to the FIA.

Punjab is confronted with this current tragic fate because of a polygamous ruler’s mismanagement and incompetence: Moonis Elahi

2011-06-21T11:12:00.000+05:00

Punjab Assembly Budget 2011-12

Speech of Mr. Moonis Elahi

(Since I have been unjustifiably refused my fundamental right as an elected public representative by none less than the House Custodian himself, I deem it necessary to present my views, analyses and observations to you on this year’s Punjab Budget in writing. I am exercising my democratic right to opinion, refused otherwise through the following lines. Moonis Elahi)

As a member of the Punjab Provincial Assembly and being a representative of the people who had elected me to this august house in 2008, it was my constitutional right and privilege to have been allowed to participate in the Punjab Assembly, 2011-12 Budget Session. The Hon. Speaker’s “NO” for “unknown reasons”, to the point of order raised by Ch. Zaheer ud Din on June 10, 2011, urging him to issue my production orders for the ongoing budget session, denied me that fundamental constitutional right. This denial was a blunt refusal to honour the mandate of the electorate who had chosen me to fight for their rights in the assembly. It was also a denial to democracy to flourish at a forum solely meant to uphold, protect and respect the Will and the Voice of the People. Despite the support of the house and the already existing precedents, the Hon. Speaker by ceding his role as the Custodian of the House may have pleased “someone” but even from a lay man’s point of view, has set in motion a highly unhealthy tradition of negative partisanship and obvious partiality. Also goes without saying that in future whenever replicated the historians will be obliged to put the brunt of this unhealthy tradition’s blame on the present Hon. Speaker of the Punjab Assembly.

It is a widely acknowledged fact that the province of Punjab just four years back was a text book example of how a government and a people could come together to bring about an era of unprecedented progress and change. The provincial GDP was well above 8% and 1.4 million new jobs were coming up in the job market every year. During this time, under Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi’s watchful and welfare oriented administration all sections of the society including farmers, workers, masons, clerks, teachers, doctors, businessmen, minorities etc; were prospering. On the contrary, just four years later all the good work of the Pakistan Muslim League government done till 2007 seems like a distant dream. The people of Punjab are now witnessing an era of unprecedented poverty, deprivation and injustice instead. Today, Punjab’s self-styled Khadim e Ala has turned the province into a laboratory of his ill-conceived experiments that have repeatedly borne disastrous results, but to no avail. In the last four years the once economically surplus Punjab has become an epitome of financial mismanagement. In the name of dubious and short lived schemes like Sasti Roti, Ashyana, Danish Schools and now the reincarnated Yellow Cab Scheme the present rulers of Punjab have skimmed and squandered billions.

Let us first take a critical look at the self-styled Khadim e Ala’s “Bucchat” i.e. savings initiatives. The last three provincial budgets bear testimony to the fact that every year the chief minister has been expending public money way beyond the prescribed limits. The Chief Minister House budget for the past financial year was put at Rs 260 million but by the year’s end an additional amount of Rs. 60 million was spent. The chief minister and his honourable brother are known for doling out public funds and assets as gifts to their favourites. In the past financial year this “glorious” tradition continued and the chief minister gave away gifts worth a generous sum of Rs. 22.5 million out of the government kitty to God knows who. The transport allocation for the chief minister was of Rs. 4 million but here too we see Rs. 20.5 million of public money being spent. Similarly the chief minister could use up to Rs. 30 million as discretionary funds in the last financial plan but instead we see Rs 60 million being indiscreetly blown away in the name of discretionary funds.

The chief minister Punjab is maintaining at government expense two official secretariats and 5 camp offices which are actually his personal residences. Appreciating the fact that the chief minister has to look after a continuously growing number of spouses, it will not be out of place to ask him to look after his sweet hearts from his personal wealth rather than from the already depleted resources of the heart-broken and poor Punjabis.

This year’s Punjab Budget is an outcome of a mindset bent upon brutally ripping the last shreds of flesh from an animal’s carcass. Show no mercy and have no mercy on the poor is what this budget is all about. I wish to draw your attention to the block allocations mentioned in the budget. An enormous sum of Rs. 33 billion has been allocated to roads, water supply and sanitation, higher education, health, transport and planning and development projects. But my question is, whither the projects? As against these allocations not a single individual project has been ascribed. It seems an obvious conclusion that among other robberies a Rs. 33 billion heist has also been planned through these block allocations. Allow me to call these block allocations as “Black Allocations” instead as they are surreptitiously meant to give the self-styled khadim e Ala a free hand in squandering huge government funds for furthering his vested personal and political aims.

How can one forget the Punjab chief minister’s pronouncement of breaking the begging bowl and not accepting international help? Ironically, he made this announcement just 24 days before this year’s budget. And look at the shameful turn around, as the budget figures show that this year Punjab will receive Rs. 20 billion in the form of international assistance. Why did the chief minister make an announcement and then go back on it? So much for honouring what you profess!

The Sasti Roti Scam is arguably the most thought out rip-off, of the people of Punjab in recent times. According to authentic sources a sum of Rs. 14.5 billion was systematically looted in this scam. In this year’s budget although no amount has been allocated to this disastrous scheme but ironically an amount of Rs 12 million has been allocated to the Sasti Roti Authority. This is a blatant example of nepotism and corruption where the rulers seem to be rewarding their favourites without taking into account their own dismal failures. The poor are getting poorer but the rulers unbothered are continuing with their loot and plunder.

According to the Auditor General’s report a huge amount of Rs. 40 billion is unaccounted for in the Punjab government accounts. Where has this money gone? This is a question that will be thoroughly investigated once the present rulers are voted out by the people.

The inconsistent and temperamental policies of the present Punjab government have turned the province into a waste land and a laboratory of failed experiments. It will be most appropriate to advise the chief minister and his respected elder brother to in future kindly restrict these flop experiments to their own Jaati Umra Palace and keep the poor people of the province out of them.

The Punjab treasury is empty yet the rulers’ greed and avarice know no bounds. Take the example of the reincarnation of the fraudulent Yellow Cab scheme in this year’s Punjab Budget. Who can forget that the last time this dubious scheme was unveiled it resulted in a complete collapse of two banks and a partial melt down of five other banks. This budget round, a huge sum of Rs. 4.5 billion has been again allocated to the yellow cab scheme. According to sources, Mr. Ishaq Dar has already inked a deal with a French automobiles manufacturer and a huge chunk of the allocated funds for this scheme will go down the deep pockets of “you know who”. Yellow Cabs Part 2 will be another scandal worth public accountability in the days to come.

In the face of rampant youth unemployment the need of the hour was to lift ban on government jobs and create well thought out youth self-employment schemes. But the current Punjab rulers instead of living up to this dire need have announced another fraudulent scheme in the budget which on the face of it will be meant to give Rs. 20,000 as financial assistance to the “deserving” youth but in actuality will be meant to espouse nepotism and corruption. Pray! Let me know that in today’s day and age what kind of business can one start with such a paltry “financial assistance”? That a government which in the last three years has not paid a penny of zakat to the deserving now with elections around the corner is bent upon extorting the public rupee for vested personal and political gains is but obvious here.

The Local Governments had become the agents of progress in the past. The present Punjab dispensation on the one hand has been delaying holding of LG elections and on the other it has allocated a staggering sum of Rs. 148 billion in this year’s budget for local governments. The obvious conclusion in this regard is again that the present Punjab rulers hell bent on looting and robbing the poor and the deprived will siphon this money through their self-appointed administrators. It is but evident that the reins of these funds will be in the hands of the chief minister and his band of forty thieves.

The last three provincial budgets have proven to be a nightmare for the people of South Punjab. They have been deprived of their rightful share in the provincial resources and left out of development plans. The truth is that there are still over twenty thousand floods devastated families living in South Punjab who still have not received the long awaited first tranche of Rs. 20,000 for reconstructing their lives. They talk of a dubious Ashyana Housing scheme while thousands of South Punjab families who lost everything in floods are still living without a roof over their heads and awaiting the arrival of the much trumpeted help. This year’s announcement of Rs.72 billion for South Punjab will prove to be yet another false promise like this government’s previous announcements for South Punjab.

On the one side, Punjab’s 63,000 plus government schools have not sighted any support in the past three budgets and on the other side their rightful share in the education budget is being vandalized in the name of the dubious Danish Schools scheme. The sel-proclaimed khadim e Ala blinded by corruption and self-glorification has brought the province’s educational growth to a grinding halt. The living proof of which is that Punjab’s literacy rate which was above 62% just four years back has now plummeted to less than 50%.

The provincial health sector is no exception to the rule. The last three years have been an unmitigated night mare for government hospitals their managements, doctors, nurses, paramedics and most of all for the poor patients. The free health care system for the sick and the needy provided by Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi’s government is now a thing of the past. The present government’s mishandling of the provincial health system has given birth to numerous issues and the sufferings of the ailing public have increased tremendously. Free medicines routinely available in government hospitals four years back are now no longer available. The disgruntlement of the medical community including doctors, nurses and paramedics is also at an unprecedented high. And lo and behold, the Punjab rulers instead of listening to this most vital community’s grievances preferred to beat them on roads and put them behind bars. What a shameful way to run the health system of a province of over 80 million people!

Look at the Punjab government’s callousness towards people’s right to Access of Justice. Is it not shameful that not a penny has been allocated to this vital protection of the people against the high handedness of the powerful? Is the law and order situation now so ideal in Punjab that the people have no need for such initiatives?

At the end, I will like to draw your attention towards the incumbent Punjab government’s dismal performance in utilisation of the last three year’s Annual Development Programmes’ budgets and its poor revenue collection performance. The irony is that while there is a 100% increase in the chief minister’s budget, a 50% decline in the ADP spending has been witnessed in the last three years. Similarly there is also an approximate 40% drop in the provincial revenue receipts of the last three years. I ask that with what cheek this government can claim to better the lives of the Punjabis this year when it has done everything to ruin them in the previous three years. Allow me to say that Punjab is confronted with this current tragic fate because of a polygamous ruler’s mismanagement and incompetence. At the end of the speech the Speaker accepted to make Moonis Elahi’s views on Punjab budget as part of the assembly record.

Prosecution witnesses deny Moonis Elahi's accounts

2011-06-17T12:06:00.000+05:00

Lahore (16-06-2011) The four prosecution witnesses named in the NICL case against senior Pakistan Muslim League leader Moonis Elahi have today completely rejected the FIA version. Testifying before the special judge Banking Court in Lahore the witnesses have denied opening of any bank account by Moonis Elahi’s manager Mohammad Maalik and have informed the learned court that the accounts in question were personally opened and operated by two individuals namely Adil Manzur and Khadim Rasul.

Earlier when Moonis Elahi was brought to the court amid tight security he was welcomed by a large number of party leaders and workers. Before the start of the proceedings Moonis Elahi addressed the Banking Court judge Abdul Rasheed and expressed his complete faith in the impartiality of the judiciary.

In today’s proceedings, statements of four prosecution witnesses belonging to Allied Bank were recorded. They included three Allied Bank airport branch employees Omar Farooq Dhami(officer), Nadia Faisal (Manager Customer Services), Shaukat Hussain (Rider) and Mohammad Atif Saleem (Manager Customer Services)working at Allied Bank, Multan Road branch. Mohammad Atif Saleem in his statement before the learned judge testified that the FIA officials threatened him of dire consequences and coerced him into signing on a blank page which was against banking rules. He stated that Khadim Rasul had opened the account at his branch and was solely operating it. He informed the court that he had visited the FIA office a few times but had never recorded any statement with them. Omar Dhami in his statement testified that the FIA authorities had required him to provide the relevant bank record which he complied but at no point had he recorded his statement with the FIA. He testified that the FIA officials forced him to sign on a blank page and he was not aware of the contents of the statement later attributed to him by the FIA officials. Nadia Faisal in her statement apprized the court that one Adil Manzur had approached the bank for opening an account and the said account was opened after verifying his national identity card from NADRA. The third prosecution witness, Shaukat Hussain testified before the court that he had seen Adil Manzur opening the bank account and was not aware of anything else. The court was reconvened at 3 pm on the insistence of Moonis Elahi’s counsels where the statements of the fourth prosecution witness, Mohammad Atif Saleem along with the FIA investigation officer were recorded. The court was later adjourned till June 22.

Later talking to the media, Moonis Elahi’s counsel Rai Bashir Ahmad said that four out of five prosecution witnesses had refuted the statements attributed to them by the FIA officials against Moonis Elahi and the prosecution had failed to obtain anything against Moonis Elahi from them. He said that the prosecution witnesses had repeated the statements which they had earlier recorded with a magistrate where they had said that the accounts were personally opened and operated by Adil Manzur and Khadim Rasul.

Court Frame charges against Moonis Elahi

2011-06-13T11:22:00.000+05:00

The Special Banking Offences Court frame charges against Moonis Elahi, a PML-Quaid leader accused of involvement in the National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) scam case of 32 crore here on Saturday.

The advocates, including Amjad Pervaiz and Misbah Ur Rehman, appeared before the court as Moonis’ counsel. Moonis lawyers asked to cite verdicts to get witness statement copies but court rejects their plea.

The court summoned the witnesses on June 16. The judge said that the case would be decided in accordance with the law and constitution.

Moonis has been accused of having involvement in a transaction of Rs 220 million with Mohsin Habib Warraich, the main accused in the Rs 3.3 billion NICL scam.
Earlier, the lawyers pleaded that the challan of the case was incomplete as they had not been given the statements made by witnesses against Moonis.

Moonis Elahi's Lawyers asked to cite verdicts to get witness statement copies

2011-06-13T11:16:00.000+05:00

Lahore (10-06-2011) The Banking Court in Lahore has adjourned the NICL case hearing against Moonis Elahi, senior leader Pakistan Muslim League, till tomorrow. During today’s proceedings, Moonis Elahi’s lawyers requested the court to provide them with copies of the prosecution witnesses’ statements recorded under Section 164. They were of the view that it was their right to obtain the copies of witnesses’ statements but the court for reasons not known to them was not heeding their request. Moonis Elahi’s lawyers said that the case against their client was a pack of lies devoid of evidence and reason. They accused the FIA of willfully stretching the case to prolong Moonis Elahi’s incarceration period. The Banking Court Judge, Mr. Justice Abdul Rasheed responding to their observations offered Moonis Elahi’s lawyers to get the case transferred to another court remarking that he was not very fond of hearing the NICL case. Moonis Elahi’s lawyers while expressing their confidence in the learned judge said that if he himself was not interested in hearing the case then it was another matter.

Moonis Elahi’s lawyers included Amjad Pervez, Rai Bashir Ahmad and Misbah ur Rahman advocates. Earlier on arrival at the court, Moonis Elahi briefly speaking to the media said that he returned to Pakistan at his own accord and because he had complete faith in the independence and fairness of the country’s judiciary. Moonis Elahi’s lawyers talking to the media after the court adjournment said that according to clause 241/A of the Constitution of Pakistan, the court was responsible for providing copies of the trial related documents but in this case the court was prolonging things for unknown reasons and today the whole time was spent on arguing whether or not Moonis Elahi could be provided copies of witnesses’ statements recorded under Section 164.

Production orders for Moonis Elahi sough

2011-06-08T11:42:00.002+05:00

LAHORE - PML-Q has asked Punjab Assembly Speaker to issue production orders of Moonis Elahi for taking part in the budget session.
Chaudhry Zaheer-ud-Din, PML-Q parliamentary party leader in Punjab Assembly, through a letter on Tuesday asked the Speaker to issue production orders of Moonis Elahi following the rules of business of the Punjab Assembly, while Moonis has the privilege to participate in the assembly proceedings. He said that the presence of Moonis in the budget session was of paramount importance as an elected member of the House.
Meanwhile, PML-Q leader condemning provincial government for rolling back Punjab government’s security from PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and senior federal minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi warned that provincial government would be responsible for any untoward incident.
He demanded of the Punjab CM to present the report of investigation commission formed sometime back regarding the flood devastating floods in Southern Punjab last year to overcome our s0hortcomings to counter the natural calamities in a better way.
Zaheer said that ‘Q’ would devise its budget session’s strategy after consulting with senior leadership, however they would follow the conduct of ‘N’ during the budget at the Parliament. He observed that ‘N’ wanted to grab every position without having majority.

A rally was organized to express solidarity with Moonis Elahi

2011-06-03T12:33:00.001+05:00

Lahore (02-06-2011) A large number of Pakistan Muslim League Youth Wing Punjab members belonging to all the provincial district head quarters gathered in Lahore today to stage a peaceful protest rally from PML House Lahore to Lahore Press Club. The rally was organized to express solidarity with Moonis Elahi senior Pakistan Muslim League Leader.

The rally participant were carrying banners and ply cards highlighting Moonis Elahi’s innocence and against his political victimization. Later President PML Youth Wing Punjab Zahid Iqbal Chaudhry addressed the rally outside the Lahore Press Club.

In his speech Zahid Iqbal Chaudhry condemned the unfair and prejudicial conduct of the FIA and its deliberate attempts at framing Moonis Elahi in a false case. The PML Youth Wing President said that keeping Moonis Elahi under detention despite the prosecution witnesses’ denial of making any statement against him was a clear evidence of political victimization. The rally was also participated by Ahmad Faran Khan, Bilal Mustafa Sherazi, Ahmad Nadeem Gujjar, Sajjad Khan Khichi, Mian Azhar Shaukat, Nadeem Zulfiqar, Shahid Jutt, Mumtaz Yousuf, Zulfiqar Yaseen, Mian Usman, Tahir Ansari, Ateeq Rizwan, Asad Riaz Baloch, Rai Ashfaq Kharral, Tariq Majeed, Ch. Usman Gujjar and others.

Till today, copies of the challan and statements of witnesses had not been delivered to Moonis Elahi’s counsels.

2011-06-01T12:09:00.000+05:00

Lahore (May 31, 2011) The Banking Court today adjourned the NICL case hearing with Senior Pakistan Muslim League Leader Moonis Elahi as a defendant till June-10 without any proceedings. Moonis Elahi was brought to the court in an armoured vehicle and heavy security arrangements were in place both outside and inside the court room. A large number of Pakistan Muslim League workers had assembled outside the banking court in the sweltering summer heat to catch a glimpse of their beloved leader. On his arrival, they chanted slogans highlighting Moonis Elahi’s innocence and condemning the elements behind the false case against their leaders. Later talking to the media, Moonis Elahi’s counsel said that the court could not convene today because of some other binding’s legal engagements of the honourable judge.

We never recorded any statement with the FIA (8 Moonis Elahi case prosecution witnesses tell the Court)

2011-05-26T11:57:00.000+05:00

May 25, 2011 (Lahore)

The Banking Court while adjourning the hearing of Pakistan Muslim League Central Leader Moonis Elahi’s case until May 31 has directed the FIA authorities to provide Moonis Elahi’s counsel with copies of statements recorded in the case under Sections 161 and 164. During today’s hearing, Moonis Elahi’s counsel took the plea that the FIA was bound to provide the accused with copies of all statements recorded in the case under Sections 161 and 164. He demanded copies of statements of the 8 prosecution witnesses recorded under oath where they had unanimously stated that at no point did they record their statements with the FIA. The Court was adjourned after the FIA officials requested for some time in order to arrange the required copies.

According to Moonis Elahi’s lawyer, Amjad Pervaiz the 8 prosecution witnesses had appeared in person before a Magistrate and stated under oath that the FIA had pressurised them to sign on blank pages and stamp papers and they had at no point recorded their statements with the FIA. Quoting the witnesses, Moonis Elahi’s defence counsel further said that in their statements the witnesses had named Adil Manzoor and Khadim Rasool as two individuals who had personally visited the bank for account opening, cheque book receiving and money withdrawal and neither Moonis Elahi nor any other person known to him ever came in touch with them. Advocate Amjad Pervaiz said that the baseless and false allegations against Moonis Elahi now stood fully exposed.

Moonis Elahi not getting entitled legal relief: S.M. Zaffar

2011-05-24T13:19:00.001+05:00

Courts independent in meting out justice uninfluenced by NICL case hearing in the SC: (Supreme Court)

(Islamabad, May 21, 2011) The 3 member Supreme Court bench headed by the Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has observed that courts where Moonis Elahi case is being heard are entirely independent to proceed with the matter in accordance with law and without being influenced in any manner from the NICL case proceedings in the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Mr. Justice Muhammad Sair Ali and Mr. Justice Ghulam Rabbani passed this order in response to the petition filed by President Pakistan Muslim League, Senator Chaudhry Shujat Hussain. Mr. S.M. Zafar, Mr. Waseem Sajjad and Dr. Khalid Ranjha appeared in the case as his legal counsels.

Mr. S.M. Zafar as the senior counsel stated that on account of the pendency of the matter before the Supreme Court, Moonis Elahi was not getting the legal relief he was entitled for.

The learned bench of the Supreme Court in its written order observed that notwithstanding any controversy with regards to the interim or final status of the challan, the learned courts hearing the matter were entirely independent in their proceedings. The learned bench further observed that if the legal relief was sought for, during hearing, learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner would be free to raise any argument available including that the amount had been recovered or not.

We have no role in Zafar Qureshi's transfer: Ch. Shujaat Hussan

2011-05-11T12:41:00.001+05:00

FIA has no evidence against Moonis and he was implicated in the scam purely on political grounds

2011-05-04T11:01:00.000+05:00

LAHORE

THE Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Punjab, on Tuesday once again failed to submit a challan against PML-Q leader Moonis Elahi, son of former Chief Minister Parvaiz Elahi, allegedly involved in the National Insurance Corporation Limited (NICL) land scam.

On Tuesday, Moonis was produced before Special Judge (banking offences) Abdul Rasheed amid tight security from the sub-jail of NADRA Rest House.

The FIA officials once again sought further time for the submission of the complete challan against Moonis. On this, the court has directed the FIA to submit a complete challan on the next hearing, to be held on May 12.

The court in its orders has also mentioned that if the FIA failed to submit a challan on the next hearing, the court will start trial on the available documents and will not allow the FIA further time for submission of the challan. Previously, the court had rejected the bail application of Moonis.

Counsel of Moonis is of the view that the FIA has no evidence against Moonis and he was implicated in the scam purely on political grounds. He said Moonis had nothing to do with the scam, as all the cases were lodged against the family of Mohsin Habib warriach. He pointed out that alleged looted money had already been returned to the NICL. Counsel reiterated that Mohsin Warriach had submitted all the embezzled amount of Rs. 1.68 billion to Secretary Commerce. As the whole amount mentioned in FIR 24/10 has been returned then to involve his client in the scam is an illegal act.

Moonis Elahi's case adjourned till May 3

2011-04-20T11:31:00.000+05:00

LAHORE: The Banking Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of Moonis Elahi’s case till May 3.

FIA failed to present the challan and requested the court to give ten days to present the complete challan (subpoena), hence, the court adjourned the case's hearing till May 3.

Talking to the media outside the court, Moonis Elahi said the impression of him being saved from the federal government was wrong. He expressed his hopes regarding the court’s decision.

Lahore High Court seeks Moonis Elahi case record from FIA.

2011-04-19T10:55:00.000+05:00

SPECIAL Judge (banking offences) Abdul Rasheed on Monday issued notice to FIA Punjab for April 25 on a bail petition moved by PML-Q leader Moonis Elahi allegedly involved in the National Insurance Corporation Limited (NICL) land scam.

On Monday, Muhammad Iqbal Bhatti, counsel for Moonis, filed post-arrest bail application in the court. He contended that the FIA had no evidence against Moonis and he was implicated in the scam purely on political grounds. He said Moonis had nothing to do with the scam as all the cases were lodged against the family of Mohsin Habib Warriach. He pointed out that looted money had already been returned to the NICL and requested the court to release Moonis on bail. At this, the court summoned record of the case from the FIA Punjab on April 25.

NICL Scam: Zafar Ahmed Qureshi removed from the post of Additional Director-General of the FIA

2011-04-19T10:52:00.000+05:00

ISLAMABAD: A spokesperson of the Ministry of Interior has said that National Police Foundation Managing Director, Zafar Qureshi, has been relieved from his additional assignment in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

The spokesperson said that in compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court, Zafar Qureshi, an Officer of Police Group, was deputed to investigate certain cases pending inquiry in FIA. On completion of his additional assignment in FIA, the agency Director General, Malik Muhammad Iqbal has requested the interior secretary to relieve him from his additional responsibilities.

Zafar Qureshi had completed the investigations of the cases assigned to him and has submitted the reports for onward transmission to the court.

Supreme Court admits Ch. Shujaat Hussain, Moonis Elahi's pleas for Zafar Qureshi's removal

2011-04-16T13:27:00.000+05:00

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday admitted for hearing three applications moved by PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Moonis Elahi, says a press release issued by the PML-Q on Thursday.

The applications seek court orders to remove FIA additional director general Zafar Qureshi from the National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) scam probe and start an investigation against him.

In the applications, Chaudhry Shujaat and Moonis Elahi say the main accused in the NICL scam, Habibullah Waraich and family, has deposited all required amount to the FIA, but Moonis Elahi, his wife and other family members were being harassed by Zafar Qureshi.

A Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice

Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Sair Ali and Justice Ghulam Rabbani directed Zafar Qureshi to submit reply on the application filed by the Chaudhry family, the press release says.

During the proceedings of the case, the chief justice said the Chaudhrys belonged to a respectable family and the investigators should keep this fact in mind while dealing with them.

The court said any investigation into the bank accounts, which are not linked to transactions vis-a-vis the NICL scam, would be against rules.

Chaudhry Shujaat and Moonis Elahi say Qureshi had levelled baseless allegations against the applicants and had stated that he was facing death threats from the Chaudhrys.

Senator Wasim Sajjad, the counsel for Ch Shujaat, told the court during the proceedings that the Waraich family had deposited the entire required amount with the FIA and no amount was liable, but the FIA officials were still harassing Moonis Elahi and his family members.

“Investigation into other accounts of Ch Moonis has been also launched. His accounts have been frozen, while the credit cards of his children are also being sought for investigation purpose that is uncalled for,” he added. He said the Chaudhry family was being targeted on political grounds. A large number of parliamentarians and PML-Q workers were present on the occasion in the courtroom no. 1 of the apex court building.

Prominent of those were PML-Q Secretary General Mushahid Hussain Sayed, PML-Q parliamentary leader in National Assembly Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat, and others.

Chaudhrys belonged to a respected family: Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry

2011-04-15T11:32:00.000+05:00

Islamabad (14-04-2011) The supreme court on Thursday admitted three applications moved by PML President and former prime minister Chaudhry Shujat Hussain and Ch Moonis Elahi in which the court was requested to remove FIA additional director general Zafar Qureshi from the NICL scam investigation and rather an investigation may be started against him. In these applications, it wax prayed that the main accused in the NICL scam, Habibullah Waraich & family, had deposited all the required amount with the FIA but despite the fact of the recovery, Moonis Elahi, his wife and other family members were being harassed by Qureshi while a probe has been launched into the bank accounts of Moonis Elahi which was uncalled for.

The apex court bench comprising chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Sair Ali and Justice Ghulam Rabbani directed Zafar Qureshi to submit reply to the application by the Chaudhry family. During the proceedings of the case, the chief justice said that the Chaudhrys belonged to a respected family and the investigators should take care of the fact while dealing with them. The court also said that any investigation into those bank accounts which are not linked to transactions vis-à-vis the NICL would be against rules. In their applications, the Chaudhry family had pleaded that Qureshi had leveled baseless allegations against the applicants and even he had stated that he was facing life threats from the Chauhdrys. It was stated that Chaudhrys belonged to a respectable family and could not even think of any such plan as described by Qureshi. It was prayed that Qureshi’s baseless allegations should be investigated and he should be removed from investigation of the case. Senator Wasim Sajjad, the attorney of Ch Shujat, told the court during the proceedings that the Waraich family had deposited all the required amount with the FIA and no amount was liable but the FIA officials were still harassing Moonis Elahi and his family members. Besides, he added, investigation into other accounts of Ch Moonis was also launched, his accounts have been frozen, while the credit cards of his children are also been sought for investigation purpose which was uncalled for.

He said the Chaudhrys were basically businessmen and thus it was natural to have heavy amounts in their accounts for business purpose. He said the Chaudhry family was being targeted on political whims which should be stopped. A large number of parliamentarians and PML workers were present on the occasion in the courtroom No.1 of the apex court building. Prominent of those were PML Secretary General Mushahid Hussain Sayed, PML parliamentary Leader in the national assembly Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat, President PML KP Engineer Amir Muqam, MNAs Sh Waqas Akram, Marvi Memon, Prince Nawaz Allai, Pir Aslam Bodla and others.

Punjab government told to beef up security for Moonis Elahi

2011-04-14T12:35:00.001+05:00

LAHORE, April 13: The interior ministry has asked the Punjab government to beef up security for PML-Q leader Moonis Elahi owing to threats to his life.

According to an interior ministry’s letter, “credible information has been received that there is a threat to the life of Moonis and extra precautions at the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra) rest house in the Cantonment area may kindly be taken up.

“The security personnel employed there may also be checked.”

The Punjab government has not taken any stringent arrangement for the security of the PML-Q leader despite concerns from the Federal Investigation Agency.

Zafar Qureshi is misusing the name of the Supreme Court in Moonis Elahi's Case

2011-04-14T12:16:00.000+05:00

Lahore (13-04-2011) Kamil Ali Agha, central Information secretary of the Pakistan Muslim League has drawn the Supreme Court’s attention towards the acts of a certain FIA official that amount to serious contempt of the apex court. Kamil Ali Agha has also accused this particular official of implicating the women members of a political family in baseless and fabricated cases by using the Supreme Court’s name. The PML Information Secretary has said that after miserably failing to prove Moonis Elahi’s alleged involvement in the NICL case this official has now started victimizing Moonis Elahi’s wife and other female members of his family. According to Kamil Ali Agha, not only has this official investigated the personal accounts of these ladies but has also gone way beyond his limits by being instrumental in freezing Mrs. Moonis Elahi’s personal account especially when Moonis Elahi’s name is not mentioned in the FIR.

The PML Information Secretary has appealed the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan Mr. Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry to take notice of this official’s persecution of women and to stop him from misusing the Supreme Court’s name.

Kamil Ali Agha has alleged Zafar Qureshi of misusing the name of the Supreme Court verbally as well as in his official letters so as to influence fellow officers. He has urged the Chief Justice of Pakistan to reprimand Zafar Qureshi and direct the concerned to take measures for undoing these wrongs.

Zafar Qureshi is using his office to carry out a personal agenda of revenge: Kamil Ali Agha

2011-04-13T12:46:00.000+05:00

Lahore (12-04-2011) Kamil Ali Agha, Information Secretary of Pakistan Muslim League has said that Additional Director General FIA Zafar Ahmad Qureshi despite all his tactics has failed to find any proof against Moonis Elahi in the 14 day physical remand. He has said that Zafar Ahmad Qureshi despite his machination has also visibly failed in establishing Moonis Elahi’s link in the NICL case. The settlement between NICL and Mohsin Warraich coupled with Mohsin Warraich’s written affidavit clearly stating that Moonis Elahi has no concern in the alleged deal are facts which have frustrated Zafar Qureshi.

Kamil Ali Agha accused Zafar Qureshi of stooping as low as implicating the women family members of Moonis Elahi to cover up for his own failures. In a press statement issued in Lahore today the PML central information secretary Kamil Ali Agha has accused ADG FIA Zafar Qureshi of unleashing a personal agenda of vengeance against Chaudhry Parvez Elahi and his family. He has said that Zafar Qureshi has opened a front against Chaudhry Parvez Elahi to avenge the denial of perks and privileges to him during the govt. of Chaudhry Parvez Elahi in Punjab.

Kamil Ali Agha called Zafar Qureshi a puppet playing at somebody else’s behest. He condemned the ADG FIA for using his office to carry out a personal agenda of revenge. He also urged the judiciary to take notice of Zafar Qureshi’s continuous violations of the country’s constitutional and penal courts besides the ethical and moral norms. Kamil Ali Agha accused Zafar Qureshi of employing all below the belt tactics to besmear the Chaudhry Family specially after failing to find them at any fault in the cases he himself has created. In his sheer frustration Zafar Qureshi has now started manufacturing new stories on a regular basis, alleged Kamil Ali Agha.

Zafar Qureshi is using the state machinery to besmear the political image and credibility of the Moonis Elahi

2011-04-12T12:15:00.001+05:00

Lahore (11-04-2011) Kamil Ali Agha, Information Secretary of Pakistan Muslim League and Chaudhry Zaheeruddin PML Parliamentary leader in the Punjab Assembly have unanimously condemned the Additional Director General FIA Zafar Ahmad Qureshi over his latest round of false accusation leveled against Moonis Elahi. They have said that despite all out efforts the FIA has failed to come up with even and iota of proof against Moonis Elahi and yet is continuing with a malicious and baseless media trial against him.

The two PML leaders have flayed Zafar Ahmad Qureshi for his vindictive, unfair and biased behavior and have accused him of providing the media with false and contrived charges against Moonis Elahi. They have strongly condemned Zafar Qureshi’s latest attempt at implicating the women family members of Moonis Elahi. The two leaders have jointly slated the Additional Director General FIA Zafar Qureshi for abusing the state machinery to besmear the political image and credibility of the Chaudhry family. They have said that the FIA’s malicious and baseless campaign against Moonis Elahi has no credibility in the eyes of the public as well as the courts.

Moonis Elahi shifted to rest house after life threat

2011-04-02T13:43:00.000+05:00

Lahore (April 01,2011) At the end of his physical remand, Moonis Elahi, central leader Pakistan Muslim League was sent on a 14 day judicial remand to the Camp Jail, Lahore by the judicial magistrate, Mohammad Irfan Basra. Chanting slogans of Moonis Elahi’s innocence, Asif Bhatti a die-hard supporter of Moonis Elahi tried to commit suicide by jumping from the 2^nd floor of the district courts but was grabbed in time by lawyers and workers present there.

Moonis Elahi’s lawyer, Iqbal Bhatti told the court that despite keeping Moonis Elahi in custody for 14 days and using all fair and foul tactics in the book the FIA had been unsuccessful in extracting any incriminating evidence or clue against him. He said that this was a clear proof of Moonis Elahi’s innocence and of him being subjected to extreme political victimization. Moonis Elahi was today brought to the district courts 4 hours after the close of courts. He remained in the armored vehicle for 25 minutes after reaching the district courts as the court room was locked and the magistrate had gone home.

The Pakistan Muslim League workers who had started assembling in the district courts from early morning kept chanting slogans and breast beating against the unfair trial of their leader throughout the day. Many emotional scenes were witnessed at Moonis Elahi’s arrival and the PML workers kept chanting fiery slogans during the court proceedings.

Moonis Elahi's remand extended for 4 days

2011-03-29T12:03:00.000+05:00

Lahore, March 28 2011 A local court in Lahore on Monday extended the physical remand of detained Pakistan Muslim League leader Moonis Elahi on FIA’s request for further 4days. The Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Irfan Basra has directed FIA to present Moonis Elahi again on April 1.

Moonis Elahi told the court that he was under detention for the last 10 days and had fully co-operated with the FIA but so far he had not been shown any proof or evidence against him. He said that he had repeatedly declared that he had neither received any money nor he was liable to pay anyone and he had no concern with the alleged deal. The defence lawyer Iqbal Bhatti prayed to the court that his client was being un-necessarily detained and since the FIA had not made any progress despite obtaining physical remand 3 times before therefore any further remand was not required. He said that his client was innocent.

Prior to Moonis Elahi arrival in the district courts the Punjab Rangers and police had undertaken strict security measures and vehicles were not being allowed to enter the district courts. On his arrival thousands of highly motivated PML workers and leaders gave Moonis Elahi a rousing welcome. The armored vehicle bringing Moonis Elahi to the court was once again covered with rose petals. Moonis Elahi on stepping out of the vehicle smiled at his supporters and waved to them. The PML workers chanted slogans calling Moonis Elahi the future Chief Minister and against the false case in which he was being tried.

Remand of Moonis Elahi extended for 4 days

2011-03-25T10:54:00.001+05:00

Lahore (March 24, 2011) A local court today extended the physical remand of detained Pakistan Muslim League leader Moonis Elahi on FIA’s insistence for four more days. At the end of his 6 days remand he was brought after a delay of six hours from the court’s scheduled time. The court yard of the Lahore district courts was jam-packed with the Pakistan Muslim League leaders, workers and supporters waiting since morning for their leader’s one glimpse and enthusiastically raising slogans and waving party flags and placards.

On arrival the roof of the armored car bringing Moonis Elahi was colored red with the buffet of rose petals showered by a highly charged crowd. On the FIA’s request for a further seven days remand the court required the FIA to apprise that if nothing incriminating against Moonis Elahi had been found in the previous six days remand then what more did the FIA expect to achieve in further seven days. The FIA officials informed the court that the investigation was still in progress.

Moonis Elahi on this occasion again categorically denied his role in the alleged transaction and said that since he had no knowledge of it therefore the question of returning any money did not raise. Moonis Elahi’s lawyers informed the court that there was no evidence against their client and the FIA was over-stretching a politically motivated case for cheap publicity. Meanwhile a highly emotional yet disciplined pro-Moonis crowd gathered outside the court room continued to raise slogans declaring Moonis Elahi as the future chief minister and slating Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik.

Remand of Moonis Elahi extended for three days

2011-03-22T12:26:00.000+05:00

Lahore (March 21, 2011) Moonis Elahi the senior central leader of the Pakistan Muslim League on the FIA’s request was granted another three day remand by the Judicial Magistrate in Lahore today. His defence lawyer said that in the absence of any proof or testimony against Moonis Elahi the FIA had detained him purely on vindictive and prejudicial grounds. Earlier when Moonis Elahi was brought to the court a large number of the Pakistan Muslim League leaders and workers welcomed him with flower petals and garlands. When a highly confident Moonis Elahi stepped out of the police van the PML workers chanted various slogans including “chief minister Moonis Elahi we are with you”.

During the hearing Moonis Elahi’s lawyer, Mohammad Iqbal Bhatti strongly opposed the request for further remand of his client and accused the FIA Additional Director General, Zafar Qureshi of falsely implicating Moonis Elahi in the NICL case on account of his personal prejudice and enmity. He drew the court’s attention to the fact that when Moonis Elahi was abroad he was summoned to appear as a witness on January 27, 2011 and when his lawyer informed that his client would be returning home in a week’s time to record his statement strangely and without any tangible reason Moonis Elahi’s arrest warrants were issued and he was declared an absconder. He said that the FIA tried its level best to prevent Moonis Elahi’s return to the country and when after being bailed by the Sind High Court Moonis Elahi appeared several times to record his statement the FIA officials turned a deaf ear to his requests. Moonis Elahi’s lawyer accused the FIA of misguiding the court. He said that there was no reason to award Moonis Elahi a further remand as he was ready to appear whenever summoned.

Legal requirements were not fulfilled by the FIA against Moonis Elahi: Kamil Ali Agha

2011-03-21T17:06:00.000+05:00

Kamil Ali Agha has expressed dissatisfaction over the way things were being handled in the matter of Moonis Elahi case. Alleging Zafar Qureshi, the additional director general of the FIA, of playing a biased role against Moonis Elahi, Kamil Ali Agha said the PML-Q wanted the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take notice of Qureshi’s ‘partial’ role. Criticizing Minister for Interior Rehman Malik and Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan, Kamil Agha said “Rana Raymond” from Lahore and “Malik Davis” from Islamabad were behind the entire “biased” action against Chaudhry Moonis Elahi.

He said legal requirements were not fulfilled by the FIA against Moonis Elahi, who had already been declared innocent by different officials. He said on the initiative of the PML-N, Rehman Malik was busy in taking unjust actions against the PML-Q leader. He also stated that Ch Moonis Elahi courted arrest and all the rumours being spread against him by the Punjab government proved baseless.

Moonis Elahi sent on three-day remand

2011-03-19T11:47:00.000+05:00

Lahore, (March 18, 2011) Moonis Elahi, senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League has been today granted a three day remand by the Judicial Magistrate Ehtasham Sadiq. Moonis Elahi was brought to the district court in an armored car amidst heavy police security. Many emotional scenes were witnessed on his arrival at the court. The highly charged workers of the Pakistan Muslim League showered flowers and raised thunderous slogans in their leader’s favor. Responding to the FIA’s request for a seven day remand Moonis Elahi’s lawyer Mohammad Iqbal Bhatti pleaded that his client was being politically victimized and his name was neither in the NICL case FIR and nor had he opened a fake account. He informed the court that the FIA had given Moonis Elahi a questionnaire comprising seventy questions which was duly answered and handed back to the FIA.

Moonis Elahi’s lawyer further informed the court that the FIA carried out all its activities while his client was abroad and soon after his return Moonis Elahi contacted the FIA officials on four occasions to record his statement but on each occasion the investigating agency refused to entertain his request. Moonis Elahi’s lawyer accused the FIA ADG Zafar Qureshi of victimizing his client and causing him unnecessary aggravation. He said that it was not a criminal trial where a remand was necessary and the FIA was already in possession of all the required documents.

Moonis Elahi : This is my country and I will never run away to Jeddah or England.

2011-03-19T11:35:00.001+05:00

Lahore (March 17, 2011) Moonis Elahi, senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League while voluntarily courting his arrest at the Lahore FIA office has categorically denied corruption charges leveled against him and has said that by Allah’s grace he will be honourably acquitted. Those people should be ashamed of themselves who had said that the PML top brass met President Zardari in connection with my case. I have full faith in the court but none in the FIA and similar organization. Persecution is nothing new for my family. Like my elders, I am also not scared of persecution. This is my country and I will never run away to Jeddah or England. When Rehman Malik arrested Chaudhry Shujat Hussain and Chaudhry Parvez Elahi I was in England from where I spoke with Chaudhry Shujat Hussain who told me not to worry as it may be my turn in times to come.

Moonis Elahi looked visibly confident when he stepped out of his car outside the Lahore FIA office where he was greeted by a very large presence of highly charged party workers who chanted slogans assuring Moonis Elahi of their love and support. There are reports of rallies staged in protest against Moonis Elahi’s arrest throughout Punjab including Multan, Gujrawnala, Sialkot, Wazirabad, Kamokey, Bhai Phero, Phool Nagar, Gujrat, Okara, Sheikupura, Kasur and Sarogdha.

The biggest protest rally was brought out at the Kamla Chowk Lahore where thousands of Moonis Elahi’s supporters turned out. The protesters staged a sit in and burnt tyres. Early addressing the media outside the FIA Office Moonis Elahi challenging his accusers said that they would get tired of their unfair persecution but he would not deter from his fight against injustice. They cannot keep me in as I am absolutely innocent, I am not involved in any corruption and if they prove me wrong I will pay them double the amount they have accused me of, Moonis Elahi declared. He refused to disclose the names of the real actors behind the false case against him saying that his elders had told him to withhold their names till the right time.

Earlier when Moonis Elahi left his house to court arrest at the FIA office he was sent off by Chaudhry Parvez Elahi. Moonis Elahi was accompanied to the FIA office by Chaudhry Zaheeruddin, Rasikh Elahi, Shafay Hussain, Maj. (R) Tahir Sadiq, Chaudhry Ameer Hussain, Amir Sultan Cheema, Rizwan Mumtaz Ali, Seemal Kamran, Majida Zaidi, Amna Ulfat, Sajid Bhatti, Mian Azhar Javed, Chaudhry Yousuf Ahad, Haji Hanif, Idrees Hanif and a large number of party workers and supporters.

Moonis Elahi, Lord Nazeer held a meeting

2011-02-28T11:52:00.000+05:00

“I am here’. Moonis Elahi remained in the FIA office for two hours

2011-02-26T11:40:00.000+05:00

Lahore (February 25, 2011) Moonis Elahi the central leader of the Pakistan Muslim League remained in the FIA office in Lahore on Friday for two hours to record his statement but the FIA officials did not despite repeated demands produce the FIR as well as the proofs of the baseless accusations leveled against him. Later talking to the media outside the FIA office, Moonis Elahi said that he had great respect for the law and the judiciary and he had come to the FIA office to face the baseless charges trumpeted against him with the objective of besmearing his image.

He said that he reached Lahore yesterday and had come to the FIA office the following day to record his statement. He said that he had told the FIA authorities to provide him with the FIR or proofs, if they had any against him so that he could properly answer them but the FIA officials did not heed his demand. Answering a question, Moonis Elahi said that he was a political personality and there were political players behind the case who would soon be exposed.

PML-Q not to let N leaders flee again: Moonis Elahi

2011-02-25T10:54:00.000+05:00

LAHORE: PML-Q leader Moonis Elahi has said that his phenomenal and extraordinary reception in Lahore was in fact agitation of the masses against “conspiring and dishonest ruling elite in the Punjab”.

He said this while addressing charged party leaders and workers on his arrival at the Allama Iqbal International Airport from Karachi on Thursday. He said that his family had given a strong challenge to their arch rival PML-N that he, along with the party men, would not give another opportunity to the PML-N top leaders to run away from the country.

Moonis Elahi, while appreciating the presence of a large number of party workers on his arrival in the provincial metropolis, said that it boosted his morale and now he would face, what he called fake or politically motivated and fabricated, cases against him.

He said that his warm welcome established the fact that the PML-Q still commanded the following of the major portion of the country’s population. The PML-Q leader said he belongs to the family which knows the tactics of facing its enemies without leaving the battlefield, while they will not provide another opportunity to their enemies to run away to Jeddah.

Moonis Elahi said that he along with his loyalists would soon expose the faces of the conspirators against him in the NICL scam.“We belong to a party which respects the courts while there is a political party that attacked the courts and believes in this practice firmly.”

Earlier, thousands of charged workers of PML-Q, along with the party leaders, received Chaudhry Moonis Elahi on his arrival at the Lahore Airport.

The party workers were carrying party flags, banners and posters having pictures of Moonis on them. They also chanted slogans in favour of their party leader and against the government ‘for hatching a conspiracy against Moonis to defame PML-Q and Chaudhries.’

The PML-Q members showered rose petals on Moonis when he reached the arrival lounge and chanted slogans in his favour. They kept on dancing to the beat of drums before the arrival of Moonis.A major number of the party members came from Hafizabad, Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, Kharian, Gujranwala, Jhelum, Kasur and Sargodha.

Moonis Elahi returns, vows to respond to accusers

2011-02-24T13:55:00.000+05:00

KARACHI: Moonis Elahi Wednesday said he has no connection with the National Insurance Corporation Limited (NICL) scam case. “I am being dragged into this case,” he said while talking to media persons at the Karachi airport.

These accusations were a way to dishonour him, his family and his political party, and he came back to answer his accusers, said Moonis, who arrived in Karachi to face corruption allegations in NICL scam case. Moonis Elahi, son of former chief minister Punjab, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, was an accused in the NICL scandal case and had been granted protective bail by the Sindh High Court.

About Zafar Qureshi, the chief investigation officer of NICL case, Moonis alleged that one of his (Qureshi) brothers wanted to become the Chief Secretary of Punjab during Pervaiz Elahi’s term as Chief Minister and another brother wanted to get a PML-Q ticket.

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani Visited the House of Chaudhry's to seek co-operation

2011-01-06T13:10:00.000+05:00

Ch. Shujaat Hussain, Imran Khan agree to cooperate on national issues

2010-12-27T11:33:00.000+05:00

Ch. Shujaat Hussan, Imran Khan and Moonis Elahi

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Q and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf have agreed on cooperating with each other over crucial issues and continuing relationship in greater national interest.

The decision was taken by the top leaders of both parties, who met at the residence of PTI chief Imran Khan on Saturday. PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Senator Kamil Ali Agha, Opposition leader in Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Zaheeruddin and MPA Chaudhry Moonis Elahi were members of the PML-Q delegation, which called on Imran Khan. The PTI leaders — Omar Sarfraz Cheema and Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed — also attended the meeting. The meeting discussed in detail current political situation in country, and the challenges facing the federation. It was of consensus view that an alliance among political forces was a need of the hour to overcome challenges confronting the country and foil designs of elements causing chaos in the country. Both the parties also agreed on opposing any move to change the blasphemy law and working for Tahaffuz-e-Namoos-e-Risalat.

Sources said both parties believed the PML-N was not playing the role of a genuine opposition, and it was supporting the government on almost all crucial issues. The performance of both provincial and federal governments came under discussion during the meeting.

Later, talking to journalists, Ch Shujaat said the meeting discussed all national issues. He said the PML-Q wanted an alliance with the political forces which could block the way of any conspiracy against the country.

Praising the PTI chief’s role as a politician, he said Imran’s abilities had been acknowledged even by his opponents, beyond any doubt. Imran said on the occasion the country’s situation was deplorable under the incumbent rulers and said the PML-Q was the only party which was playing the role of a true opposition in parliament. He said the political figures shared views with each other and this process would also continue in future as well. About the alliance with the PML-Q, Imran said at present there was only one alliance in the country which was between Zardari and Nawaz, who were protecting each other.

Meanwhile, talking to The News, PML-Q Secretary Information Senator Kamil Ali Agha said the meeting discussed all core issues. He said the possibility of an alliance between the PML-Q and the PTI during local bodies’ polls or general elections was not discussed during the meeting. However, the issue might come under discussion in future sittings, he added.

N League has a history of using Punjabis as human shield in its nefarious power game: Moonis Elahi

2010-12-27T11:17:00.000+05:00

Lahore (December 15, 2010) Moonis Elahi the senior central leader of the Pakistan Muslim League has said that the people of Punjab are currently the biggest victims of the ongoing target killings wave in the country. Referring to Monday’s statement of the Sind Home Minister and the recent Human Watch Pakistan’s report citing the murder of 12 educators of Punjab origin living in Baluchistan in 2010 alone, Moonis Elahi has expressed his serious concern and dismay at the unfortunate rise in target killing incidents against Punjabis settled in other parts of the country.

Moonis Elahi has accused the incumbent Punjab government of failing to protect Punjabis within Punjab and without on account of its incompetence and lust for power. He expressed these views today in Lahore during a meeting with a delegation of the Pakistan Muslim League workers belonging to his Gujrat provincial assembly constituency.

Moonis Elahi said that the people of Punjab were going through the worst time in their lives under the present Punjab government. He said that the present Punjab government on account of its poor policies and due to its lust for power had left the people totally vulnerable and unprotected against rising terrorism, crimes, poverty, unemployment and now target killings.

Moonis Elahi accused the Punjab government of not only failing in protecting the lives of the people of Punjab but also their rights. He said that this fact was evident from the present government’s role in thrusting various unjust decisions on the people of Punjab including the NFC Awards, heavy power and gas load shedding schedules and the RGST accord.

Moonis Elahi said that the N League had a long history of using the people of Punjab as a human shield in its nefarious power games. Moonis Elahi said that the target killings of Pakistanis including Punjabis were highly condemnable and it was incumbent upon the governments of Sind and Baluchistan to ensure the security and well being of all Pakistanis including the people of Punjab living there.

The biggest victims of the present inflation nightmare are the people of Punjab : Moonis Elahi

2010-12-11T10:00:00.000+05:00

Lahore (December 10, 2010) Moonis Elahi the senior central leader of the Pakistan Muslim League has slammed the incumbent Punjab government for the unprecedented 160% increase in prices of essential commodities in the province in the last one year. He has called the over 85 million Pakistanis living in Punjab as the biggest victims of the country’s current inflation nightmare and has accused the Punjab government of miserably failing to save the people from the price juggernaut. Moonis Elahi expressed these views today in Lahore during a meeting with a delegation of senior provincial party members.

Moonis Elahi

Moonis Elahi blamed the N League administration in Punjab of deploying the provincial resources for the consolidation of their political fiefdom at the expense of the poor and the helpless. He said that the incumbent Punjab government’s misdeeds had helped push the rates of crimes and suicides in the province to alarming heights and the poor were made to sell their children to make their ends meet in the last three years.

Moonis Elahi said that Punjab was in the grip of a ruthless food mafia which was being fully patronized by the current rulers of Punjab. He accused the Punjab government of an abject failure in purging itself of corruption, nepotism and extravagance.

Moonis Elahi said that the prices of essential commodities in Punjab including vegetables, meat, poultry etc had artificially been increased much before the September floods by the reigning food mafia. He accused the Punjab government of skimming huge public funds in the name of its bogus Roti scheme, food stamps programme and Danish schools etc. Punjab which was until 2007 a financially surplus province with a healthy 8% growth rate is today struggling under an unbearable 160% price hike due to the N League government’s sheer incompetence and corruption, accused Moonis Elahi.

Moonis Elahi flayed the Punjab government’s policies aimed at undermining the value and importance of teachers

2010-10-06T09:54:00.000+05:00

Lahore (October 05, 2010) The trials and tribulations of Punjab’s teaching community have increased manifold since 2008. Instead of giving them their rightful respect and due dignity teachers in Punjab are being persistently harassed, humiliated and hounded by the provincial government. On World Teachers’ Day the fact that Punjab’s teaching community protested in unison against the provincial government’s highhandedness proves the deplorable handling of education sector in the country’s largest province. These views were expressed by Moonis Elahi, the senior central leader of Pakistan Muslim League in his message released at the occasion of World Teachers’ Day celebrated through out the world on October 5 to acknowledge the role of teachers in the society.

In his message, Moonis Elahi flayed the Punjab government’s policies aimed at undermining the value and importance of teachers. He said that it was on account of the hostile and anti-teacher policies of the N League government that Punjab’s literacy rate had plummeted to 50% in 2010 from a healthy 62% in 2007.

He warned that the gross mishandling of the education sector and the ill treatment being meted out to educators in the province would have highly adverse effects on the society. How are the students expected to respect and honor their teachers if the government itself is hell bent on mauling the teachers’ dignity? He asked. In his communiqué, Moonis Elahi assured his party’s complete support to the protesting teachers and demanded the provincial government to withdraw its regressive and anti-education policies and decisions including handing over government owned educational institutions to boards of governors appointed on political basis and in complete violation of rules.

Shahbaz Government giving bogus cheques to families of martyrs and terror victims: Moonis Elahi

2010-09-20T11:14:00.000+05:00

Lahore: Moonis Elahi, the senior central leader of Pakistan Muslim League has voiced serious concern at the news of the bouncing of Shahbaz Government’s cheque handed over to the family of the two brothers tragically lynched in Sialkot and has called the dishonoring of the cheque as yet another inhuman and callous act of Shahbaz Administration. Moonis Elahi expressed these views in a meeting with party members in Lahore today.

He said that in the two and a half year rule of N League in Punjab there were countless such incidents where terror victims and their families were given bogus cheques by the rulers. He called it a blatant fraud with innocent public and said that it revealed the true face of the people currently in power. Moonis Elahi held Shahbaz Government as fully responsible for the currently deplorable economic condition of Punjab and alleged that other than the cheques to terror victims the cheques amounting in billions of rupees given to Punjab Government contractors were also repeatedly being dishonored.

Moonis blamed the incumbent Punjab Government for destroying the provincial economy and for selling government assets at throw away prices instead of taking steps for the province’s economic revival. He expressed his serious concern over the fate of cheques being issued by Punjab government in the flood affected areas and warned Shahbaz Administration of severe consequences of issuance of bogus cheques to the unfortunate victims of the floods.

Steep decline in Punjab’s literacy rate due to rulers’ incompetence and insincerity: Moonis Elahi

2010-09-10T14:55:00.000+05:00

Lahore (September 09, 2010) Moonis Elahi the senior central leader of Pakistan Muslim League has strongly criticized Punjab Education Department’s poor performance of last two and a half years. Quoting the 2010 Global Monitoring Report of an international service organisation in which Punjab’s literacy rate has been shown taking a steep plunge, Moonis Elahi has held the Shahbaz Government as fully responsible for this disappointing performance. According to Moonis Elahi the World Bank and the UN reports of 2007 had acknowledged that Punjab’s literacy rate had jumped to 62% under Chaudhry Parvez Elahi’s pro education policies.

Moonis Elahi alleges Shahbaz Government’s incompetence and vested interests behind the sharp decline in Punjab’s literacy and enrollment rates since 2008. He has also dubbed the Punjab Government’s controversial decision of appointing boards of directors with sweeping powers in government owned colleges as nothing short of villainy with future generations. Moonis Elahi made these comments during a meeting with members of Pakistan Muslim League Education Wing in Lahore today.

He alleged that the majority of appointments in these boards of directors were politically motivated and therefore counterproductive. He said that these boards were as controversial and useless as the dozens of task forces existing in Punjab since 2008 and which had been unable in proving to date their efficacy and utility. Moonis Elahi reiterated his firm commitment to the concerns and interests of students, teachers and parents of the province in the backdrop of the continuous anti-education policies of the Shahbaz administration. He said that the present Punjab rulers’ interest in the growth of education and the bright future of the students could be assessed from the fact that Punjab Education Department had been running without a minister since 2008.

Whether natural disasters or terrorist attacks Punjab Government miserably fails to act on advance warnings: Moonis Elahi

2010-09-03T10:29:00.000+05:00

Lahore (September 02, 2010) Moonis Elahi, senior central leader of Pakistan Muslim League has alleged that Punjab under the burden of Shahbaz Government’s disastrous financial and administrative policies had submerged in deep and murky waters much before the floods began their devastation. Moonis Elahi has blamed the self proclaimed “Khadim-e-Ala’s” poor crisis management skills and his self serving “flood politics” as main reasons for the colossal loss of life and property in Punjab during and in the post floods phase. Moonis Elahi has called for Shahbaz Sharif’s resignation in the wake of his failure to protect people’s lives and well being during floods and against terrorist attacks. He has said that Pakistanis are a brave people and our true heroes are the floods stricken Pakistanis and the Pakistani individuals and institutions helping their brethren in this hour of dire need. Moonis Elahi made these comments during a meeting with party workers from Lahore at his residence today.

Moonis Elahi in his speech was highly critical of the poor law and order situation under N League in Punjab. Citing the tragic suicide bombing incidents at Data Darbar and Karballa Gamay Shah in Lahore, he said that if Shahbaz Sharif could not ensure security to religious places in his own family constituency then how he could ensure the security of the rest of the province. Criticizing Shahbaz administration’s poor response to advance warnings against floods as well as acts of terrorism in the province resulting in huge losses of life and property in both the cases Moonis Elahi demanded immediate resignation of Shahbaz Government and said that Shahbaz Government had lost all moral and political grounds to continue and with every passing day its legitimacy was becoming more questionable. Quoting a Punjab Government official’s statement where he had put the number of flood victims to whom Punjab Government had so far provided food at around only 250,000 people, Moonis Elahi remarked that it was an open admission of failure on their part as the number of flood affected and displaced in Punjab was in several millions. Moonis Elahi praised the flood affected Pakistanis for their exemplary fortitude in crisis and dubbed individuals and institutions working relentlessly for the relief and rehabilitation of their compatriots in trouble as the Nation’s true heroes.

Shahbaz Sharif is busy playing “flood politics” at government expense: Moonis Elahi

2010-08-31T11:06:00.000+05:00

Lahore (August 30, 2010) Moonis Elahi, senior central leader of Pakistan Muslim League has said that Shahbaz Government should immediately be restricted from squandering huge public funds and resources desperately required for flood victims on personal publicity. While Shahbaz Sharif is busy playing “flood politics” at government expense the teeming millions struck by the country’s worst floods have been left to the vagaries of floods and the whims of N League’s MNAS and MPAS who are sitting on flood aid like serpents. Most of the aid for Punjab flood victims is not reaching the true beneficiaries. The announcement of Rs. 20,000 per flood victim family is nothing more than a practical joke. The minimum compensation per family should be Rs. 500,000. Moonis Elahi expressed these views today in Lahore during a meeting with party leaders.

In his address, Moonis Elahi strongly condemned the current publicity campaign of the Punjab Chief Minister and dubbed it as a criminal use of several million public rupees on personal promotion. He remarked that at a time when there were countless Pakistani men, women and children waiting for help the wastage of huge public funds on self or family promotion was a highly condemnable act of Shahbaz Government. He said that despite all its “flood politics” coming out of the tax payer’s pocket Shahbaz Government had failed to make any worthwhile impression on the mass mind.

Moonis Elahi alleged that because of his abuse of power and government resources there was now an even greater resentment against the incumbent Punjab Chief Minister than before. He said that presently his ability to handle crises was being seriously questioned by not just the general public but also by the Punjab CM’s own cabinet colleagues. Moonis Elahi said that at a time when the country and the province were going through an unprecedented trial Shahbaz Government was deliberately shunning the call for an emergent Punjab Assembly session on flood as it feared a massive criticism of the house.

After Punjab cabinet ministers’ show of no confidence the Chief Minister has no moral grounds to continue: Moonis Elahi

2010-08-27T11:25:00.000+05:00

Lahore (August 26, 2010) Moonis Elahi, the senior central leader of Pakistan Muslim League has said that the self proclaimed “Khadim e Ala” of Punjab has no moral grounds to continue as the provincial chief executive in the wake of an open expression of no confidence in him by his own cabinet ministers.

Moonis Elahi has also demanded a high level judicial enquiry into the Punjab Senior Minister’s allegation of digging an illegal canal for the Chief Minister’s lands which has consequently rendered thousands of families homeless. He has also demanded a probe in the Punjab Senior Minister’s charge that the Chief Minister did not consult him once while ordering breaches of embankments during floods in the province.Moonis Elahi expressed these views in a meeting with party members in Lahore today.

Moonis Elahi alleged that various Punjab Cabinet members had been complaining for long against the Chief Minister’s one-man rule and his brain less policies but the recent statement by his own Law Minister against his boss’s fondness for extra-judicial killings and parading of bodies of suspects on roads and the increasing criticism of other cabinet ministers including the Punjab Senior Minister’s latest allegations were clear evidences of the Chief Minister’s dwindling popularity among his own cabinet colleagues.

Moonis Elahi said that the Punjab Chief Minister’s waning acceptance could further be gauged on account of his failure to solicit any worthwhile public donations during floods despite extravagant government funded media campaigns and highly expensive chopper visits. He said that the recent floods had fully exposed the incompetence of the incumbent Punjab Chief Minister and made the cracks in his government highly visible.

Moonis Elahi said that Punjab had not witnessed the likes of the recent floods and the current incompetent government in the last 100 years. Moonis Elahi directed Pakistan Muslim League and Tehrik e Quaid workers present in the meeting to stand by the flood victims in this time of dire need and continue efforts for the alleviation of their miseries and hardships.

Happy Independence Day

2010-08-14T13:27:00.000+05:00

A Message to Youth on Independence Day: Moonis Elahi

2010-08-14T13:20:00.000+05:00

PML will stand with the flood affected of Rajanpur, D G Khan, Layyah, Rojhan and other districts: Moonis Elahi

2010-07-24T09:40:00.000+05:00

Lahore (July 23, 2010): Moonis Elahi, central leader of Pakistan Muslim League has directed the leaders and workers of Pakistan Muslim League and Tehrik e Quaid to undertake all out efforts for the relief of the victims of recent floods and torrential rains in Punjab. He has urged his party members to whole heartedly participate in the flood relief activities irrespective of political affiliations and go beyond the call of duty to help the unfortunate victims. Moonis Elahi gave these instructions to Tehrik e Quaid coordinator Nasir Mehmood Gill on telephone today.

Moonis Elahi

Moonis Elahi who is currently visiting the US in his message slammed the Punjab Government’s apathy to the problems of the flood affected and expressed his bitter anguish at the fact that the Punjab Government had not made any preparations for the natural disaster despite prior information provided by the MET department with the help of satellite images. He said that whether it was acts of terrorism or natural calamities the incumbent Punjab rulers had failed to avert these disasters or control their impact despite early warnings.

Moonis Elahi expressed his remorse and grief at the unfortunate loss of precious human lives and property due to floods in Rajanpur, D G Khan, Layyah, Rojhan and other affected districts and reiterated his party’s commitment with the flood victims in their time of need.

People have the right to know about the massive corruption of Punjab ministers : Moonis Elahi

2010-07-01T10:24:00.000+05:00

Lahore (June 29, 2010) The reshuffle in portfolios is not a remedy to the rampant corruption and inefficiency of the N League ministers in the Punjab provincial cabinet but actually an eye wash. The self-proclaimed Khadim e Aala instead of taking action against his party’s ministers in the light of secret reports has rewarded them. The corruption reports of his ministers for jails and local governments reveal gross financial and administrative irregularities. These were the comments of Moonis Elahi, central leader of Pakistan Muslim League on yesterday’s reshuffle of portfolios in the Punjab cabine while talking to a delegation of party workers from Lahore today at his residence.

Moonis Elahi said that the cabinet’s role in Punjab was only cosmetic as all the powers and resources were usurped by the Chief Minister and his band of merry men. In the last two and a half years the number of Punjab cabinet meetings can be counted on finger tips which go to further prove the presence of a one man rule in the province. Moonis Elahi cited the recent comments of Raja Riaz, Punjab’s Senior Minister on the prevalence of corruption in the government echelons as a sure proof of the schematic skimming of Punjab’s resources by the ruling clique.

He said that the province was running without full-time Health, Education and C &W ministers since 2008 and despite repeated public demands these slots had not been filled. Now instead of appointing capable individuals against these positions, Punjab’s autocratic Chief Minister has reshuffled cabinet positions to reward his most corrupt colleagues, alleged Moonis Elahi. He said that N League’s Punjab government had economically and socially ruined the province and forced the people to sell their children and commit suicides.

Suicides on the rise in Punjab due to rulers’ incompetence : Moonis Elahi

2010-06-21T12:35:00.000+05:00

(Lahore, June 19, 2010) A pall of gloom and morbidity has enshrouded Punjab since the return of the Sharifs in 2008.The alarming rise of suicide incidents in Punjab is the direct result of the province’s economic ruin brought about by Sharif “mal-administration” in the last two and a half years. How can the poor and the jobless survive when the budgeted personal daily expenses of the self-proclaimed “Khadim –e- Aala” are well over Rs.7 lacs? Sasti-roti drama has created further hunger and deprivation in the society. These views were expressed by Moonis Elahi, central leader of Pakistan Muslim League, during a meeting with members of PML Human Rights Wing in Lahore today.

The meeting was summoned to discuss the implications of the rising number of suicides in Punjab and to explore ways for the eradication of the causes leading to this unfortunate development. Commenting on the issue, Moonis Elahi strongly criticized the rulers and held them solely responsible for the unfortunate trend. He said that Punjab was the hardest hit and the highest number of suicide incidents had been reported in Punjab in the last six months. Moonis Elahi blamed Shahbaz government for the rising pessimism in the masses forcing some of them to take their own lives.

He said that N League had made false promises with the people at election time and in the last two and half years they had given them nothing except poverty, unemployment, inflation, crimes and now suicides. The present system of governance in Punjab is based on the whims and caprices of one man which had also seriously weakened the relationship between the citizen and the state, Moonis observed.

He said that in Punjab under the coercive Sharif regime citizens’ rights were being usurped, nepotism and jobbery were the order of the day and provincial resources were being squandered on poorly planned and counter-productive schemes. Criticising the roti scheme, Moonis said that N League’s government instead of launching the much needed poverty reduction initiatives had so far only come up with poverty production schemes like the roti scheme. They have not paid a paisa of Zakat fund to the needy and it is evident that they want the proud people of Punjab to hold a begging bowl instead of hammer, chisel or pen, he alleged. He stated that these factors compounded with the self-proclaimed Khadim-e-Ala’s incapacity to understand the gravity of the situation had resulted in wide spread depression and dismay in the fast growing numbers of poor and jobless of the province.

He said that the present situation had made the poor and the weak highly vulnerable and prone to take extreme steps including self-annihilation. He warned of a further worsening of the situation if the rulers did not wake up from their slumber and started undoing the extremely adverse effects of their own follies.

Moonis Elahi challenges N League to deny the facts in the PML White Paper during PA budget session

2010-06-14T12:49:00.000+05:00

Lahore: Moonis Elahi, central leader of Pakistan Muslim League has challenged N League’s Punjab government to deny in the forth coming Punjab Assembly budget session the irrefutable charges brought up in the PML White Paper issued last week. He was talking to a delegation of Pakistan Muslim League comprising MPAs and party office bearers here in Lahore today after his two week visit abroad. Moonis Elahi said that Pakistan Muslim League by exposing the dismal administrative and financial performance of the incumbent Punjab government had fulfilled a national responsibility.

He said that this white paper was the first in the series and the coming episodes would further expose the incompetence, nepotism and corruption of the N League government. He said that although Pakistan Muslim League had released the White Paper last Thursday but so far no member of Punjab’s ruling family had come forward to refute the charges. Commenting on the Friday Press Conference of the PML spokesman in Lahore, Moonis Elahi said that the people of the province could no longer be deceived by the illogical and nonsensical spin of Jaati Umra’s jesters and the self-claimed Khadim e Aala should give up his habit of hiding behind salaried spin doctors who can’t even defend their own misdeeds let alone the misdeeds of their bosses.

He said that the PML White Paper was widely lauded by the people as it represented their genuine concerns and grievances against what he called N League’s two and a half years of “misrule”. What have the current Punjab rulers given to the province except financial bankruptcy, soaring crimes, rising inflation, phenomenal increase in suicides and sky-rocketing poverty? Asked Moonis Elahi.

Sharif family had laundered huge amounts in foreign currency through their off-shore companies: Moonis Elahi

2010-05-28T11:07:00.000+05:00

Lahore (May 27, 2010) The sale of Phalia Sugar Mills was a transparent business transaction and no financial irregularity was committed as implied. After miserably failing to implicate the Chaudhry Family in Haris Steel scandal, our opponents are now desperately trying to drum up another set of false and baseless accusations. Such campaigns are meant to hide our opponents’ own follies and to divert public attention from their stupendous financial crimes. These views were expressed by Moonis Elahi, central leader of Pakistan Muslim League while responding to the accusations made in a section of the press concerning the sale of his family owned Phalia Sugar Mills to M/S Colony Group.

Moonis Elahi said that Colony Group was one of Pakistan’s leading business groups and its credit lines with various banks far exceeded the alleged amount mentioned in the news item and it was highly unfair to politicize a normal business deal to serve vested political interests. He said that Colony Group had not defaulted with the Bank of Punjab at any stage but on the contrary it was a known fact that the Sharif family was on the Bank of Punjab’s defaulters list and owed over 171 million rupees to the bank since long. Moonis Elahi further added that it was also common knowledge that the Sharifs were the country’s biggest bank defaulters and owed billions of rupees to various Pakistani banks, financial institutions and also to the FBR.

He said that it was also widely known that the Sharif family had laundered huge amounts in foreign currency through their off-shore companies and there was a signed confession of Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif to this effect present in the records of London High Court. These and similar other facts regarding the financial crimes of the Sharifs had been time and again pointed out by Pakistan Muslim League in the last two and a half years to the utter chagrin of the Sharifs, said Moonis Elahi. He further said that the Sharifs’ financial corruption was clearly evident from Hamesh Khan’s written statement submitted to the US, State Department and also in his petition filed with the Supreme Court of Pakistan where he had stated that the incumbent Punjab Chief Minister, on his failure to illegally wrest $ 8 million from Hamesh Khan, the BOP Chief at the time, for the purchase of a sugar mill and in being unable to coerce Hamesh Khan into becoming an approver against the Chaudhry family ordered his persecution.

Moonis Elahi alleged the N League government of deliberately destroying the Bank of Punjab’s market credibility soon after coming into power and of engineering its financial collapse for vested political gains. How was it possible that the share value of BOP which stood at Rs 130 per share till the end of our government in 2007 came crashing down to less than Rs 10 with in the first two months of Shahbaz Sharif’s government in 2008? Moonis asked. He challenged his opponents to prove that his family had ever maintained an account with the Bank of Punjab or borrowed even a penny from it at any point while in power.

Purchase of 28 VIP cars for Chief Minister exposes N League’s bogus austerity claims: Moonis Elahi

2010-05-14T11:39:00.000+05:00

Lahore ( May 12, 2010) Moonis Elahi, central leader of Pakistan Muslim League has said that at a time when the poor cannot even afford two square meals a day, Punjab’s N League government in stark contradiction to its bogus claims of austerity has decided to add 28 more VIP cars worth 31 crores to the Chief Minister’s fleet. The bullet proof cars bought by the previous regime were never auctioned contrary to announcements and are still in active personal service of Punjab’s ruling family. 28 new VIP cars are being acquired by further over-burdening the already depleted financial resources of Punjab.

Moonis Elahi expressed these views at a meeting with party workers in Lahore today. Lashing out at the decision of adding 28 more VIP cars to Punjab CM’s fleet, Moonis Elahi said that in the current extremely trying financial times where Punjab’s hospitals and schools had become incapable of performing their basic functions due to lack of funds and thousands of people were daily sliding down the poverty line due to inflation, unemployment and load shedding the decision of acquiring 28 new luxury vehicles has come as a shock.

Moonis Elahi flaying the decision said that the current rulers of Punjab were following in the footsteps of Muhammad Shah Rangeela a debauched Mughal King and their claims of adopting simplicity were nothing more than a farce. He said that the hidden face of N League now stood fully exposed to the people of Punjab and their announcements of bringing prices of essential commodities down to the level of 1999, auctioning of previous government’s bullet proof cars and converting 8 Club Road, Lahore into an IT university had proven to be a pack of lies.

Moonis Elahi alleged the N League government as solely responsible for Punjab’s existing sorry state of affairs and reiterated his party’s firm resolve to protect the interests of the poor.

Punjab is not a province of charity seekers: Moonis Elahi

2010-05-10T10:25:00.000+05:00

Lahore (May 8, 2010) After the failure of the tandoor scam if CM Punjab thinks that his upcoming Langar hoax will save N League’s sinking boat he is sadly mistaken. Punjab is not a province of charity seekers and the proud people of Punjab demand their constitutional right to better life instead of being humiliated through N League’s sham roti, atta and langar schemes. If CM Punjab had an iota of genuine concern for the poor of the province he would have long ago dumped his huge army of useless advisors who are merely getting fatter day by day on public money. These were the views of Moonis Elahi, central leader of Pakistan Muslim League expressed during a meeting in Lahore today with office bearers of Pakistan Muslim League Labor Wing.
In the meeting Moonis Elahi blamed N League’s Punjab government for squandering massive public funds for cheap political gimmicks and huge personal gains at the expense of the innocent and proud Punjabis. He blamed N League for reducing Punjab once the bread basket of the country to a food deficient region and for insulting the pride of its people by forcing them to stand in long lines for flour, sugar and other necessary food items.

Moonis Elahi called CM Punjab’s latest announcement regarding the launch of Langar (public kitchen) scheme in Punjab as yet another hoax meant to deceive people and to extort public funds. If poor people can successfully run langars (public kitchens) at Data Sahib’s shrine in Lahore and at similar other holy places in Punjab with their scant resources and on their own then why can’t the N League leadership with its huge financial assets follow suit? Moonis Elahi asked while adding that the truth was that N League’s leadership had a history of taking money from the poor and not giving it back to them.

The langar scheme was going to be another fraud with the people and like in the earlier tandoor scam where 30 billion rupees of public money had disappeared the upcoming langar hoax was also bound to gobble further billions, he alleged. This time the people of Punjab will not be deceived and if any attempt is made to misappropriate public funds for political gimmickry they will confront the rulers, declared Moonis Elahi.

Moonis Elahi addressing to the workers of Pakistan Muslim League

2010-04-29T14:12:00.000+05:00

Pakistan Muslim League Launched "Tehreek-e-Quaid"

2010-04-29T13:21:00.000+05:00

Together with people we will free Punjab from N League’s “Qabza government": Moonis Elahi

2010-04-29T12:57:00.001+05:00

Lahore ( April 28, 2010) The unholy alliance between N League and PPP has brought nothing but misery for the people. Punjab, once the most prosperous province of the country under our PML government is now financially the most backward under N League. N League’s “Qabza” government has failed on all fronts and the day is not far when Pakistan Muslim League together with people will free Punjab from its clutches. Pakistan Muslim League’s workers who have braved the vindictive tactics of the rulers and stood firm in the face of all persecution are the party’s greatest asset.

These views were expressed by Moonis Elahi, central leader of Pakistan Muslim League to a jam-packed Pakistan Muslim League, Kasur Workers’ convention held at the PML House auditorium in Lahore today. The PML workers’ convention was also addressed by eminent party leaders and leading PML representatives from Kasur.

The speakers included Opposition Leader Chaudhry Zaheer-ur-Din, Rana Imtiaz, Maqsood Sabir Ansari, Raza Ali Shamas, Maqbool Sabir Ansari, Malik Ahmed Ali, Sardar Shoukat Dogar, Malik Ahmed Saeed Khan, Sardar Atif Nakai, Nasir Mehmood Gill, Haji Sarfraz Khan, Awais Nakai and Rana Muhammad Aqeel. The speakers lauded the unprecedented development work carried out in Kasur like in other parts of Punjab during Chaudhry Pervez Elahi’s period and lamented at the present government’s failure in providing even an iota of PML government’s past services to the public.

The speakers from Kasur severely lashed out at the current deplorable economic, social and law and order conditions prevailing in Kasur on account of the misrule of N League’s Punjab government. They blamed N League for depriving Kasur of its development share in order to take revenge from the district for standing in support of Chaudhry Pervez Elahi and Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. They strongly condemned N League for not releasing funds for the construction of Lahore-Kasur road and Kasur-Depalpur road as these projects were initiated by the previous government. In his presidential address, central leader of Pakistan Muslim League, Moonis Elahi thanked the PML leaders and workers from Kasur for their unflinching support to the party and praised them for attending the convention in such a huge number particularly during wheat harvest time.

Moonis Elahi assured the Kasur party workers of his resolve to give top preference in all matters to the party workers and lauded them for their loyalty to Pakistan, Quaid e Azam and Pakistan Muslim League. He particularly appreciated their support to the party despite N League’s vindictive tactics.

Moonis Elahi warned the Kasur district police and civil administration officials to refrain from political persecution of PML workers and declared that persecutors will be brought to book when the party returns in the government. Moonis Elahi blamed N League for being insensitive to the miseries of the people and declared that dooms day was fast approaching for the rulers who were indifferent to the problems of the people.

He said that Punjab was currently ruled by those who immediately rush to the wash rooms to clean their hands after touching the poor. Pakistan Muslim League’s central leader blamed the N League and PPP alliance for bringing unheard of miseries on the poor in the shape of back-breaking inflation, sky-rocketing unemployment and incessant load shedding. He declared that the people of Punjab will never forgive N League for destroying the peace and prosperity of the province.

Promulgation of Section 144 on business community a highly condemnable step: Moonis Elahi

2010-04-29T12:44:00.000+05:00

Lahore (April 27, 2010) The promulgation of section 144 in Punjab to forcibly prevent shops and businesses from operating after 8 in the evening is another extremely unpopular and regressive step taken by N League’s Punjab government. Punjab’s peace loving shopkeepers and traders are being treated as terrorists in N League’s rule. The Chief Minister has flown off to London to avoid public flaying over his government’s anti-people policies and decisions. These views were expressed by Moonis Elahi today during a meeting with representatives of Punjab’s business community at his residence in Lahore.

In the meeting Moonis Elahi strongly criticized the enforcement of section 144 on Punjab’s business community and warned the N League government of the consequences of its anti-trade decisions. He assured Pakistan Muslim League’s unflinching support to the suffering shopkeepers and traders of the province and resolved to leave no stone unturned for the protection of their rights and interests.

Moonis Elahi blamed N League as the sole architect of the ongoing power crisis in Punjab. He also blamed N League for the current financial debacle of Punjab and alleged that after emptying the provincial coffers through mismanagement and misappropriation N League was now working to destroy the province’s private enterprises by enforcing on them a section of the law which was otherwise only meant to control terrorists and rioters.

Moonis Elahi declared that N League’s antagonistic policies and anti-trade decisions had opened the business community’s eyes and the business community now fully understood the selfish motives of N League’s leadership. He strongly criticized the harassment being spread in the business community by unknown individuals going around in market places threatening the traders of dire consequences on loud speakers in case of non compliance with the order of closing shops by 8 pm.

“Nura” League surpasses allies in anti-people policies: Moonis Elahi

2010-04-26T12:46:00.000+05:00

Lahore (April 24, 2010) As if the earlier titles in the N series were not enough that N League by endorsing the anti-business decisions of two weekly holidays and daily closure of shops by 8 pm now also clearly qualifies to be categorized as “Nura” League. Acting as a benign opposition at the centre and playing bed mates in Punjab with PPP, N League has surpassed its allies in backstabbing the very people who entrusted confidence in them in the 2008 election. After the commercial plazas target killing spree the two-holidays per week “Chuttee Bomb” if applied will destroy of what is left of business in Punjab. These views were expressed today in Lahore by Moonis Elahi, central leader of Pakistan Muslim League while talking to a delegation of Pakistan Muslim League Traders Wing.

Moonis Elahi reiterated his party’s unflinching commitment to the cause of the business community and strongly condemned the decisions of two-holidays per week and closure of businesses by 8 in the evening. He said that 18 hours daily load shedding in Punjab could have been reduced to 4 hours daily like in other provinces had the N League government sincerely advocated Punjab’s case. Not just during the power crisis but in all other crises, N League without a moment’s hesitation has been compromising Punjab’s interests for self gains, alleged Moonis Elahi. He blamed N League and its allies for jointly playing havoc with the country’s economy and bringing it to the verge of collapse.

He said that Punjab’s default now stood at a staggering amount of Rupees 73 billion and if the recent anti-trade decisions were not withdrawn immediately the rates of poverty, unemployment, suicides and crimes which had already touched alarming heights were bound to shoot further up in the province. Moonis Elahi warned the rulers of a public lash back worse than Kyrgystan if anti- business decisions and IMF dictates emphasizing further taxes on the already impoverished people of Punjab were allowed to be carried out.

Moonis Elahi strongly condemned the Punjab government’s threat of cutting power supply to traders who did not comply with the 8 pm draconian decree and said that N League now stood fully exposed to the people of Punjab including the business community.

N League solely responsible for bitterness and depravation prevailing in South Punjab: Moonis Elahi

2010-04-26T12:32:00.000+05:00

Lahore (April 21, 2010) Punjab government’s step-motherly treatment and diversion of South Punjab’s already meager funds and resources for the development of Jati Umra have created a bitter resentment and an acute sense of depravation in the people of South Punjab. To address these negative developments and to alleviate the miseries of the people, creation of a South Punjab province is the dire need of the hour. These views were expressed today in Lahore by Moonis Elahi, central leader of Pakistan Muslim League during a meeting with his party office bearers and workers hailing from Multan Division. During our five year rule we left no stone unturned to bring South Punjab at par in development and prosperity with the rest of the province, said Moonis Elahi.

He reminded the party members from Multan that Chaudhry Parvez Elahi had declared South Punjab as his second home and throughout his government he personally undertook countless measures to pull the people of South Punjab out of abysmal poverty and backwardness.

Moonis Elahi strongly condemned the deliberate step motherly treatment meted out to South Punjab since 2008 by N League government. He said that during the rule of PML government maximum resources were allocated for the progress and uplift of South Punjab and from 2002 to 2007 over 117 billion rupees were expended in the previously neglected region. On the contrary, this year’s measly allocation of rupees five billion for South Punjab by N League is nothing more than a joke and a stark reminder of N League’s deliberate indifference to the miseries of teeming millions living in the neglected region, remarked Moonis Elahi.

He further added that for South Punjab’s population of over 40 million only 5 billion rupees were considered sufficient in this year’s budget but on the other hand for a road leading to Jati Umra, the residence of the current Punjab rulers, an atrocious amount of rupees 21 billion was very conveniently dished out. While our government up to 2007 launched and completed several mega public service projects in South Punjab including hospitals, schools, colleges, roads, bridges, industrial estates, water supply and sanitation schemes etc, it is saddening to note that in the last two years not even a single new water tap has been installed by the current rulers here, stated Moonis Elahi.

Commenting on his party’s policy on creation of new provinces, Moonis Elahi declared that Pakistan Muslim League had always stood by the will of the people and creating a South Punjab province was an apt remedy to plug administrative gaps that had become even more manifest due to the incompetence of the current rulers.

N League playing the role of “Nifaaq League”: Moonis Elahi

2010-04-20T14:42:00.000+05:00

Lahore (April 13, 2010) After the earlier titles of “Neelam” (Auction) and “Na Ehal” (Incompetent) League”, N League, now a days because of its divisive and selfish role is also being widely called as “Nifaaq” (Division) League. The divide and rule N League leadership can’t even spell the word revolution right let alone understand its dynamics. N League’s incompetence is the cause of recent public outrage in Punjab. These were the views of Moonis Elahi, central leader of Pakistan Muslim League, while talking to party workers in Lahore today. N League’s incompetence is leading Punjab towards an even worse situation than Kirghizstan, alleged Moonis Elahi while commenting on Punjab’s current dire financial straits. He said that excruciating inflation, towering unemployment and nerve breaking load shedding had virtually crippled the country’s largest province and forced people to come out in protest. He called the current protests in Punjab an expression of a deep public outrage against N League’s failure in delivering on each of the promises its leaders made with the people in 2008 election.

Moonis Elahi said that besides its poor performance in Punjab, N League’s macabre role in the NWFP name controversy had virtually rocked the country’s very foundations and created unheard of divides among people. Characteristic of N League, its hypocritical role in the NWFP name issue and on the question of a separate Hazara province reflects the self-centered, power hungry and stab-in-the-back attitude of its leadership, he said. Moonis Elahi expressed his deep shock and grief at the unfortunate loss of precious human lives and property in Abbotabad and blamed N League as solely responsible for the tragic and highly dangerous developments in Pakistan’s Northern Province.

18th Amendment overshadowed by 18 hours daily load shedding: Moonis Elahi

2010-04-12T12:51:00.000+05:00

Lahore (April 8, 2010) How can people welcome 18th Amendment when confronted by the travails of 18 hours daily load shedding, sky rocketing inflation and record high unemployment? The prices of basic necessities have been increased as many as 18 times in the last two years. In the wake of nerve wrecking increase in prices of fuel and other commodities, the Punjab government’s decision to up the water tariff by 75% is another extremely cruel decision. These views were expressed by Moonis Elahi, central leader of Pakistan Muslim League, while talking to party members here in Lahore today.

Moonis Elahi said that the present rulers were not bothered about the sufferings of the masses and their only concern was the protection of their ill-gotten wealth and power. He said that Pakistan Muslim League had warned of the consequences of acquiring gas run rental power units a year back but no attention was paid to these warnings at the time. Today all our warnings unfortunately are coming true and people are facing not only the worst electricity and gas shortage in country’s history but on top also being forced to pay huge power and gas bills, said Moonis Elahi. He said that summaries for further increase by next month in power and natural gas rates were being prepared. The proposed increase would put a further unbearable burden on the already suffering people, he feared. He said that electricity obtained from gas run rental power units would cost six times more than hydro electricity. What good will be the electricity produced by rental power units if beyond people’s reach? Moonis Elahi asked.

He expressed his anger at WASA’s decision of 75% increase in bills of commercial water connections and called it as another Draconian levy imposed on the masses by Punjab rulers. Moonis Elahi alleged Punjab government of deliberately compromising Punjab’s rights and interests for personal gains. Moonis Elahi warned the rulers to desist from their pro-IMF and anti-people policies and decisions. He said that people were justified in thinking that all their problems could only come to an end if the current rulers were sent home.

Punjab Chief Minister had not only sprinkled salt on the bleeding wounds of the nation but had also sent extremely negative vibes about Punjab to smaller provinces to the detriment of national unity: Moonis Elahi

2010-03-19T11:47:00.000+05:00

Lahore ( March 18, 2010 )The comments made by Punjab Chief Minister suggesting that the extremists should launch their terrorist attacks outside Punjab demand the most vigorous condemnation possible. N League’s history is writ large with instances where national unity and interests have been compromised for ulterior motives. The people of Punjab consider Pakistanis living in other provinces as their brothers and sisters and value their happiness and well being as much as their own. These were the views of Moonis Elahi, central leader of Pakistan Muslim League while talking to party workers here in Lahore today.

Moonis Elahi said that by establishing common grounds with perpetrators of death and destruction and by identifying with their agenda of doom the Punjab Chief Minister had not only sprinkled salt on the bleeding wounds of the nation but had also sent extremely negative vibes about Punjab to smaller provinces to the detriment of national unity.

Moonis Elahi said that it was shameful that in the month of March when the nation celebrates the Pakistan Resolution day such an irresponsible statement was made by the Chief Executive of the province where the epoch making resolution was adopted in 1940. He said that this statement had rocked the foundations on which the nation stood and had made the people of Punjab regret their decision of voting N League into power in 2008.

Moonis Elahi claimed that during his party’s rule from 2002 to 2007 because of its pro-people development initiatives acts of terrorism in Punjab were few and far between. He claimed that in the last two years due to N League’s anti-people policies and extreme misuse of provincial resources there was wide unrest in Punjab and the people were hard hit by inflation, unemployment and repeated power outages with no where to go. He feared that the present poor socio-economic environment in Punjab was likely to make certain areas of the province a breeding ground for terrorism. Moonis Elahi alleged that apart from undermining the spirit of national unity the statement also smacked of N League’s incompetence and failure in curbing terrorism in Punjab as in the last two years terrorism had increased by 800% in the province. Moonis Elahi held N League government as solely responsible for the unfortunate development.

Moonis Elahi remarked that Pakistan Muslim League had vociferously condemned drone attacks on Pakistani soil but N League contradictory to its claim of not taking outside dictation was through out mysteriously silent on this account. He said that this mysterious silence was a sure proof of N League’s tacit and hypocritical approval of drone attacks on Pakistanis and an endorsement of the fact that they were taking outside dictates.

Kalabagh Dam demand surrendered by electricity thieves: Moonis Elahi

2010-03-19T11:30:00.000+05:00

Gujrat (March 13, 2010): Moonis Elahi, central leader of Pakistan Muslim League has alleged that the blatant theft of electricity on one hand and the shameful withdrawal from the demand for Kalabagh dam on the other are glaring proofs of N League’s treacherous role against the people of Punjab and Pakistan. The present rulers of Punjab have a long history of trading off Punjab’s rights to further their vested interests. NFC Awards meetings offered an ideal opportunity for consensus building on Kalabagh dam but personal interests were given preference over national interests. These views were expressed by Moonis Elahi, central leader of Pakistan Muslim League today at a party workers meeting in Gujrat.

Moonis Elahi claimed that till the last day of its government, Pakistan Muslim League continued efforts for consensus building on the vital power project but N League after forming government in Punjab in 2008 immediately expunged Kalabagh dam from its manifesto to further personal interests.. Moonis Elahi declared that N League government not only backed out on the demand for Kalabagh dam in 2008 but had also in times of severe load shedding not once advocated its need in larger national interest. Moonis Elahi questioned the use of running expensive anti-electricity theft campaigns in the media when everyone knew that the biggest electricity thieves were the current rulers of Punjab.

He sympathized with the employees of LESCO who were wrongfully made scapegoats to cover up for the electricity theft committed by the N League government. He said that in the last two years due to poor performance and insincere policies of N League in Punjab the people of the province had been pushed to unprecedented depths of poverty, unemployment and lawlessness.

Punjab rulers not concerned with people’s problems: Moonis Elahi

2010-03-11T15:09:00.000+05:00

Gujrat (March 9, 2010) Moonis Elahi, Central Leader of Pakistan Muslim League has said that March 24 will be remembered as a day of glorious victory for Gujrat and Pakistan Muslim League in the annals of history. On that day the real fight will be between the people of Gujrat and the usurpers sitting in Raiwind and in the final reckoning the decision of the people will stand supreme. Moonis Elahi said that Pakistan Muslim League was the true well wisher of the people and by voting Imran Masood to Punjab Assembly from Gujrat PP 111 with a heavy majority on March 24, the people of Gujrat will be rejecting the current ruling clique comprising fake degree holders and electricity thieves. How the current rulers of Punjab can after being caught red handed in the act of stealing electricity guide people to the right path? Moonis Elahi made these remarks while addressing public meetings at Kalra Khasa, kalra Kallan, Palace Colony and Lokri in connection with Gujrat PP 111 election taking place on 24th of this month.

Other speakers in the meetings included Ch. Irshad Waraich, Ch. Ahmad Nadeem Gujjar, Ch. Zahid Hussain Bhatti, Inam ul Haq, Ch. Naseer Sindhu, Asif Dhol, Haji Safdar Numberdar, Haji Safdar Multani, Ch. Riffat Mahmud, Ch. Mahbub Elahi, Ch. Majeed Waraich, Nasir Dar, Bashir Rahmani, Fazal Hussain, Wajid Shah, Dr. M Ansar, Ch. Rashid Ali, Waheed Aslam Chattha. Also present in large numbers were leaders and workers of Pakistan Muslim League Youth Wing, Gujrat.

Moonis Elahi said that he and his family belonged to Gujrat and no one knew the problems of Gujrat like they knew. He took pride in the fact that the sons of Gujrat had always reflected on their city’s name and had also achieved highest offices in the government. On the other hand, Moonis Elahi said that the current rulers of Punjab were hell bent on flouting the law, squandering public resources and openly stealing electricity. The current Punjab rulers have terribly failed in providing public with any relief and their only concern is the protection of power for which they can go to any extent, Moonis Elahi alleged. Moonis Elahi strongly criticized the failure of Punjab government in preventing the unfortunate Model Town suicide bombing incident despite receiving warnings well in advance. The rulers are directly responsible for the tragic loss of life and property in this case, he said.

Moonis Elahi reiterated his firm commitment to do away with contract and Qabza mafias and give preference to unemployed youths in provision of jobs when Pakistan Muslim League returned to power.

Earlier, Moonis Elahi called on Ch. Mohammad Ilyas Waraich of Kalra at his residence and exchanged views on the current political scene of Gujrat. Ch. Ilyas Waraich assured his complete and unflinching support to Pakistan Muslim League’s candidate Imran Masood.

Moonis Elahi with PML Members in Washington DC, USA

2010-03-05T15:29:00.000+05:00

Chauhdry Wajahat Hussain Address to Pakistani Community in USA

2010-03-05T15:20:00.000+05:00

Chauhdry Parvez Elahi's Address to Pakistani Community in Washington DC, USA

2010-03-05T15:03:00.001+05:00