Police raid former Punjab CM Parvez Elahi's Gujrat residence

GUJRAT: The police raided former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi's residence in Gujrat, Geo News reported Wednesday morning.

Officials stated on the condition of anonymity that a large contingent of police raided Elahi's residence, Kunjari House, and detained the security guards deployed there.

Police barged into the residence with the help of a ladder, the sources said. However, they left after searching the house.

Elahi however, confirmed it, saying that his employees were searched and harassed by the police.

"We were not told anything about it. We will take legal action against the raid on our house," said Elahi.

Ex-CM Elahi's house raided for Chaudhry Wajahat's arrest: police

Former Punjab chief minister (CM) Parvez Elahi's Gujrat residence was raided to arrest Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain, Punjab Police said later in the day. 

Elahi confirmed the raid this morning, saying that his employees were searched and harassed by the police.

"We were not told anything about it. We will take legal action against the raid on our house," he had said.

In a tweet, Elahi said that he would be approaching the courts against the raid. “We will go to court against these illegal actions of the caretaker government and have full faith in an independent judiciary.”

Later, the law enforcement agency issued a statement mentioning the reason behind the raid. The police left after they were unable to find Wajahat during their search, the statement read.

The police said that a case was registered against PML-Q leaders Wajahat and Musa Ellahi at the Kaklari Police Station of Gujrat on January 16 on the law enforcement agency’s complaint.

The police said that a case was registered after Wajahat and Musa were involved in a brawl over the change of name of the Kotla Arab Ali Khan Civil Hospital.

The statement said the case was registered against Musa and Wajahat after the police carried out investigations in the case.

The police said Musa had already obtained bail in the case but Wajahat was yet to get bail.

'Finding Indian spy?'

Reacting to the raid, Elahi's son and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Moonis Elahi criticised the police for searching their residence.

He said that the police raided their house with 25 vehicles without a warrant or case.

Moonis said that bringing 25 vehicles was understandable but what were two "black vehicles" doing.

"Were they finding an Indian spy?" Moonis asked on Twitter.

Parvez Elahi’s ex-principal secretary booked

Multiple former and current officials and others related to Elahi are being probed following the end of his tenure as the Punjab CM.

Last week, Punjab’s anti-corruption watchdog registered a case against Elahi’s former principal secretary Mohammad Khan Bhatti for allegedly taking bribes.

In the first information report (FIR) registered by the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), Bhatti is accused of taking more than Rs460 million in bribes from officials of the provincial highway department. SDO Highway Police Rana Muhammad Iqbal has already been arrested on charges of bribery, while ACE has started the process to arrest Bhatti on corruption charges.

The FIR says that Iqbal bribed Bhatti to get posts of his choice.

The development came a day after the former Punjab chief minister's driver and gunman were arrested for allegedly carrying liquor bottles in Islamabad.

Police claimed that the accused gave an envelope full of money to Punjab House employee Faheem Mirza in exchange for a briefcase containing liquor bottles on "Elahi’s instructions".

Police further said that the accused have also revealed before a magistrate that Faheem and Irshad, the alleged employees of Punjab House Islamabad, are frontmen of the former chief minister.

Both alleged frontmen were involved in monetary transactions for Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, they claimed. A case has been registered against them at Islamabad’s Secretariat Police Station under various provisions.