ISLAMABAD: The federal government has distanced itself from the recent raid on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President and former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi’s house, during which 27 individuals, including servants, were arrested.
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar expressed his grief over the “violation of the sanctity of veil and walls” during a telephonic conversation with PTI senior vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
Qureshi informed the minister about the reservations of the PTI President’s family and party.
Dar clarified that the federal government had “nothing to do” with the raid on Elahi’s house and assured Qureshi that he would convey the PTI’s reservations to the government.
Raid on Pervaiz Elahi’s house
The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) team and a heavy contingent of Punjab Police, raided Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi’s house located at Zahoor Elahi Road in Lahore a day earlier. The police arrested 25 individuals, including servants working in the former Punjab chief minister’s household, during the eight-hour-long operation.
The Director General (DG) of Punjab’s Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), Sohail Zafar Chattha, left the scene along with the police contingent, ending the police action. A large number of lawyers were present at the PTI president’s residence at the time of the raid.
The police entered the house by jumping over the wall, and an armored personnel carrier (APC) of police broke the main gate of the residence.
The raid on Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi’s house has sparked controversy, with the PTI alleging that the raid was politically motivated. The federal government’s decision to distance itself from the operation is likely to clear the way for talks to continue.
