Investigators question Moonis for four hours.

LAHORE -- Former federal minister Moonis Elahi of the PML-Q recorded his statement on Thursday before the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in a money laundering probe, claiming the PML-N government in Punjab had instituted a 'fake' case against him to avenge the budget session 'fiasco'.

'Besides, the PML-N is trying its best to make us switch our loyalty towards [former prime minister] Imran Khan, but it will fail,' Mr Moonis told reporters after appearing before FIA investigators and responding to their queries for over four hours.

'Since the FIA did not send me a notice in the case registered a day ago at the behest of the Sharifs, I voluntarily appeared before the agency. When the investigators ran out of questions, they started asking me the same queries again. With this case, the PML-N also wants to tarnish my image through a media trial,' the former minister claimed.

He was also handed over a questionnaire by the FIA, which he said he would return after consulting his legal team.

The PML-Q leader further said the case against him showed the frustration of the PML-N over the budget episode in the Punjab Assembly. 'Today, if I tell the PML-N leadership we will support them... all such cases will be withdrawn. The real problem lies with our support to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman,' he maintained.

Moonis's father, Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, has been consistently creating hurdles in the way of smooth functioning of the Punjab government, especially during this week's budget session, forcing the ruling coalition to hold its own session at Aiwan-i-Iqbal where it presented the provincial budget for fiscal year 2022-23 after the governor clipped the speaker's powers.

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