Federal govt has nothing to do with Elahi’s house raid, Dar tells Qureshi

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, who is a part of the government team holding talks with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on the date of the election, Saturday contacted PTI Vice-Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi and expressed solidarity with him over the raid at Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi’s residence.

According to the PTI Central Media Department, Qureshi briefed Dar about the sentiments of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi’s family as well as those of PTI on the incident. Elahi is the party’s president.

On this occasion, the finance minister explained to Qureshi, who is leading the PTI side in talks with the ruling coalition committee that the federal government had nothing to do with the attack on Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi’s house. “This action has been taken by the caretaker Punjab government. We will convey PTI’s sentiments to our leadership and will contact the PTI again soon in this regard,” Dar was quoted as telling Qureshi.

Separately, Senior Vice President PTI Fawad Chaudhry expressed reservations over the national census and claimed that its results were disastrous. “One National Assembly seat in Karachi and seven in Punjab are being reduced. The whole process is highly controversial and unbelievable. Only to stop the elections, a process full of mistakes was adopted. The country will be severely damaged,” he cautioned.

Back on the raid issue, PTI Secretary General Asad Umar strongly condemned the police raid on Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi’s residence and said this was done in total disregard to the sanctity of privacy. He wondered what the government gained from this process other than increasing hatred for itself among the people.

PTI’s Senior Vice President Dr Shireen Mazari also strongly condemned the incident and alleged state terrorism continued in Punjab where there was no legal caretaker government.

“Court orders are being blatantly violated: The police are following orders of the illegal caretaker government and the law enforcers have become lawbreakers. If all this is the fascist reaction of the government to agreeing to the talks, then it is clear that these talks are just a hoax,” Dr. Mazari said.

Meanwhile, the Punjab police on Saturday booked the former chief minister of Punjab and a key ally of Imran Khan, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on terror charges following a late-night raid at his residence.

The case has been registered against 50 individuals, including the former chief minister, at Lahore’s Ghalib Market Police Station. The FIR invokes Section 7 of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 and has 13 other charges included pertaining to attempted murder, rioting and assault on government officials.

According to the FIR, filed on an anti-corruption officer’s complaint, the raiding team was attacked with petrol bombs, stones and batons. The complaint added that Elahi assisted in escaping arrest during the raid.

The registration of the terrorism case against Elahi comes just hours after a team of the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), Punjab, and the Lahore police conducted a raid to arrest the PTI ally.

The raiding teams remained on the premises of the former CM’s residence for more than three hours during which they took around nine people into custody but were unable to find Elahi.

The ACE team, led by Additional Director Waqas Hassan, along with heavy contingents of the Anti-Riot Force (ARF), raided the residence of the former Punjab chief minister in a case reportedly registered at the ACE Gujranwala.

The raid at Elahi’s residence came hours after the ACE arrested a close friend of Pervaiz Elahi’s son Moonis Elahi. Also, the provincial anti-graft body booked the former chairperson of Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) over corruption charges.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central President Pervaiz Elahi’s son Rasikh Elahi moved the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday seeking orders to stop the police operations at their residence.

Rasikh stated in his petition that police entered their house without search warrants. He further stated that on April 27, an FIR was lodged by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), Gujranwala, against Pervaiz Elahi who was later granted bail from the LHC till May 6. However, despite the court orders, the police raided the house on April 28 along with 300 to 400 personnel, Rasikh pleaded.

Chief Secretary Punjab, Director General, Additional Director ACE, Punjab, Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) (Operations) Lahore and Superintendent Police (SP) Model Town, Lahore, were made respondents in Rasikh’s plea.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Punjab Syed Mohsin Naqvi has said that no ‘illegal’ action will be allowed by anyone and he will look into the matter once he returns from Saudi Arabia.

The News contacted caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Syed Mohsin Naqvi to seek his comments over the Friday night raid on the residence of former chief minister Punjab Pervaiz Elahi and his close relative, MNA Chaudhry Saalik Hussein.

Large contingents of Punjab Police raided the residence of Chaudhrys at Zahoor Elahi Road, Gulberg, to arrest the former chief minister where the members of the family were also allegedly manhandled.

It is pertinent to mention that on Friday morning, the caretaker chief minister Punjab arrived in Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah while the residence of Chaudhrys was raided in his absence from the country late at night.

The incident caused concern and criticism by the federal and Punjab governments. PTI also lodged serious protests over it. When contacted, the Punjab chief minister said that he was in Medina and would definitely check details on his return. “I am here in Medina, will definitely check details once I am back, Inshallah,” said Mohsin Naqvi while talking to The News. “Inshallah, no illegal activity will be allowed by anyone,” the CM Punjab asserted.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Fawad Chaudhry questioned the ongoing talks with the government.

He tweeted, “Talks on one side and arrests on the other? Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi’s house raid proves that Ishaq Dar, Saad Rafique and Azam Tarar have no place in their government,” reported local media.

Fawad said that the attack on Pervaiz Elahi’s house, keeping Ali Amin Gandapur in jail despite bail and the arrest of PTI workers are making the negotiation process meaningless. He added that if the government negotiating team could not play any role in keeping the environment better after assurances, how would they take big decisions? The meeting chaired by Imran Khan will decide whether to continue the talks or not.

Meanwhile, President Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Barrister Abid S. Zuberi and Secretary Muqtedir Akhtar Shabbir have condemned what the termed as the cowardly attack and vandalisation of the residence of Chaudhary Pervaiz Elahi, former chief minister Punjab, by an anti-corruption team over the so-called charges of corruption.

In a joint statement issued here on Saturday, they reiterated their stand with the rule of law, supremacy of the Constitution and independence of institutions and said that such unlawful acts are unacceptable and have no place in a democratic society. They said that the Lahore High Court (LHC) had already granted bail to former chief minister Punjab in the said case. “We strongly believe that every citizen of Pakistan has the constitutional right to live in peace and security, as enshrined in Article 9 of the Constitution of Pakistan, which states that ‘no person shall be deprived of life or liberty’, they said.

They said that being a citizen of this country, his rights are protected under Article 4 read with Article 10A and Article 14 of the Constitution, adding that the raid on former chief minister Punjab’s house is a clear violation of these fundamental rights. They urged the government to take immediate action to bring the perpetrators to justice, adding that it is the government’s duty to uphold the rule of law and ensure the safety of all citizens, regardless of their political affiliations.

“We call on the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the raid and ensure that the culprits are held accountable for their actions,” they said and expressed solidarity with former chief minister Punjab and his family during this difficult time and extended their sympathies to them.

On the other hand, Chaudhry Salik Hussain, son of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, said that he was completely unaware of who was behind the last night raid by police and anti-corruption Punjab but stressed that he would ask the prime minister to hold an inquiry into this incident.

Chaudhry Salik, while talking to Shahzad Iqbal in his Geo News programme Naya Pakistan, narrated the last night incident and said that he was with his parents and after having dinner, they went to take rest at around 10:30-11 pm and he came to his house, which is situated at the backside of his parents’ residence.

He said he heard noises and breaking of door. When he returned to his father’s home, he saw glasses of central door were broken and about 50 policemen standing with sister-in-law of Pervaiz Elahi and his lawyer Amir behind the door and they were repeatedly saying that Pervaiz Elahi was in their (Chaudhry Shujaat) house.

Shahzad Iqbal then asked him whether he contacted Pervaiz Elahi or Moonis Elahi. Salik Hussain said that he did not contact them, rather they should have contacted him because they got no injuries while he got seven stiches.

On a question, Salik Hussain said the incident of raid should be condemned and he also condemned it.

While answering a question who was behind this raid, Salik Hussain said that he received a call from the prime minister who expressed grief and condemned this incident.

Salik said that this was not the operation of the federal government, rather this operation was carried out by the Anti-Corruption Punjab.