PM’s aide rejects report he made ‘relief efforts for PTI’s Khadija Shah

Prime Minister's Special Assistant Aun Chaudhry Tuesday rejected a “baseless” media report claiming he made unsuccessful efforts to intervene with the police on behalf of Khadija Shah, the “prime suspect” of the attack on Corps Commander's House (Jinnah House) in Lahore Cantt on May 9.

In a statement, Chaudhry clarified that he did not make efforts for securing relief for Shah, the granddaughter of a former army chief. Referring to the media reports, he said Shah had never visited the house of Jahangir Khan Tareen’s daughter.

After the May 9 riots, Punjab police launched a massive operation, detaining hundreds of PTI activists suspected of involvement in the attacks on defence installations.

However, the search for Shah remains ongoing as she continues to evade arrest, defying the army’s stern orders of “no mercy” towards anyone connected to such offences.

Shah continues to elude authorities, even as her husband, Jehanzeb Amin, has been taken into police custody. In a similar vein, Salman Shah, the former finance minister, was briefly arrested before being freed.

According to media reports, acting on a tip-off from Jehanzeb, the police conducted a raid on an apartment in Gulberg, but Shah managed to escape just minutes before the raiding party’s arrival. Leaked CCTV footage captured her fleeing the building through the basement parking area.

Interestingly, the apartment where she had been hiding reportedly belongs to Mehar Tareen, the daughter of Jehangir Tareen, and her husband, Umar Sheikh. Although present during the raid, the couple’s attempt to assist Shah proved futile.

“Action should be taken against those involved in May 9 incidents,” he added.

Apart from the Tareen family, other influential individuals have also been approached in an endeavour to secure relief for Shah.

Among them is Chaudhry Shujaat Husain, who was a witness in Shah's nikah. However, after he discovered that the army maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards offenders, treating all individuals equally without discrimination, read the report.

Sirmed Amin, Shah's father-in-law and an old friend of PM Shehbaz held multiple meetings with him, including a recent one on Monday. However, the prime minister’s efforts to provide assistance proved fruitless, as he could only instruct the police to handle the matter in accordance with the law.

The report, citing a reliable police official, claimed that the army has unequivocally stated that no offenders will escape punishment. During a recent visit to Lahore, Army Chief Gen Asim Munir commended the police for their actions, affirming that there would be no leniency towards any culprits involved. He emphasised that arrests should be made lawfully and without disrespecting the female accused.

Khadija, a US citizen, has released several audio messages proclaiming her innocence, maintaining that she was merely present outside the corps commander’s house and played no part in the acts of ransacking.