By Special Correspondent
RAWALPINDI: The officials of the Evacuee Trust Properties Board (ETPB) early Monday morning sealed seven units of Lal Haveli in Rawalpindi in a bid to dislodge the tenants most significant of which is former interior minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed.
Preparations were underway in this regard since days amid reports that the government would take action to vacate the building. According to the sources, the concerned authorities were instructed to make preparations to vacate Lal Haveli.
Meanwhile, former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan has expressed deep concern over the government’s move aimed at dislodging his ally Sheikh Rashid Ahmed from Lal Haveli and termed it as an ‘act of revenge’.
During the PTI’s core committee meeting Sunday, Imran Khan took notice of ‘government’s illegal action’ against Sheikh Rashid’s residence and instructed party’s General Secretary Asad Umar to raise voice in this regard.
Taking to Twitter, Asad Umar said that a plan was chalked out to vandalize Sheikh Rashid’s house with ‘government machinery’ and put pressure on the former interior minister. The former minister further wrote that PTI strongly condemns this ‘act of terrorism’ and his party stands by Awami Muslim League (AML) chief.
ETPB strategy
Earlier on January 26, it was reported that the Evacuee Trust Properties Board had prepared a strategy to vacate Lal Haveli, residence of Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, within 24 hours. In this regard, the department also sought assistance from law-enforcement agencies (LEAs) – Rangers, police and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
Lal Haveli belonged to a Hindu woman prior to partition and was converted into Sheikh Rashid’s political office in 1980 after he entered parliamentary politics. This is not the first time Rashid received ETPB’s notice as he had claimed to receive an eviction notice in October 2016.
Meanwhile, Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Monday approached the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi Bench against the complete “sealing” of his Lal Haveli residence.
Advocate Sardar Raziq Khan, on behalf of the AML chief, while submitting the plea urged the court to hold an urgent hearing which was accepted. The hearing will take place today.
Meanwhile, Rashid’s party workers reached the residential property and chanted slogans against the ETPB officials. The famous Lal Haveli, an old building at Bohar Bazaar in Rawalpindi, is the political office of the AML leader Sheikh Rashid who insisted he did not get any notice from the ETPB.
