LAHORE: A heavy contingent of Punjab Police Friday night raided Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Ch. Parvez Elahi’s residence to arrest him, drawing strong criticism from the party, which has been voicing concerns against the arrests of its workers and leaders.
The six-hour-long police action came to a halt after Sohail Zafar Chattha, the Director General of Punjab’s Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), left the scene along with the police contingent.
Chattha, talking to the media at the former chief minister’s residence, denied wrongdoing. He said they didn’t act illegally and that a petrol bomb was thrown at the Punjab police party who came to arrest Elahi.
He noted the action was initiated by individuals at Elahi’s residence who weren’t cooperating with the police. Chattha’s appointment as DG ACE was objected to by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. The Imran-led party challenged the decision of the Punjab caretaker government in court in February this year.
The Punjab police and anti-corruption officials partially halted their operation, claiming that although Elahi was not present at his residence, his mobile phone’s location shows that he was there. But they resumed it after information that Elahi was at his home.
At least 27 individuals, including servants working at the house of the ex-Punjab chief minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf workers protesting at the scene, have been arrested by the police.
The police raid comes hours after the PTI and Pakistan Democratic Movement-led government held negotiations on election dates, with the former calling to stop their workers’ arrests, warning that the negotiations might derail if the law enforcers’ actions don’t come to a halt.
Analysts said the pressure tactics of the authorities are boosting Khan’s popularity, noting that none of the members from the government’s side has faced such late-night police raids so far.
In February this year, police raided the ex-Punjab chief minister’s house twice but returned without arresting him. In March, Police also raided Khan’s Zaman Park residence in March, which was called off after court orders.
A heavy contingent of police and the official of anti-corruption officials raided Elahi’s house. The police cordoned off the Zahoor Elahi Road outside the residence during the operation.
An armoured personnel carrier of police broke the main gate of the residence after the people inside the house resisted the law-enforcers and tried to stop arrest. Police claimed stones were pelted at them, which wounded police personnel and journalists covering the incident.
SP Ammara Shirazi, accompanied by a team of female police officers, entered Elahi’s house and conducted a police raid. They came back from the house after a brief search.
“No search warrants required”
According to Elahi’s lawyer Amir Saeed, the Punjab police officials intended to arrest his client despite being granted bail in a case by the Lahore High Court. Officials from the anti-corruption department then demanded to see the court’s bail order during the raid.
Elahi’s lawyer stated, speaking to the media, that LHC’s Justice Tariq Saleem Shaikh had granted his client pre-arrest bail until May 6. Saeed added that the high court order is always received the next day. He said, “We’ve made them talk to the court’s official over the issue,” Anti-corruption department told the media the law enforcers had raided the house to inform the PTI president that he hadn’t received bail in the case, but due to the resistance faced from inside, police had to take action.
The officials said the law-enforcers wouldn’t leave the location until Elahi’s arrest, as the site shows him here. “Search warrant isn’t required [in this case].” Without further details, the officials said a case had been registered against Elahi in Gujranwala.
