Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmad on Monday moved an application before the Lahore High Court s (LHC) Rawalpindi bench against the sealing of the Lal Haveli by the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB).
Advocate Sardar Raziq Khan, on behalf of the AML chief, while submitting the plea urged the court to hold an urgent hearing which was accepted.
According to ETPB Deputy Commissioner Asif Khan, two units of the Lal Haveli and five adjoining units were sealed after teams of the board along with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrived at the spot early morning today.
Khan said Rashid’s ownership of these Lal Haveli units had been cancelled over illegal occupation of land. Several notices had also been issued to Rashid and his brother in this regard, he added.
Taking to Twitter, the former minister has claimed that Lal Haveli was his “personal property” and a “central secretariat for public service”. He said he didn t receive a notice prior to the action, adding sealing Lal Haveli was an act of fascism and terrorism.
“If it is proven that Lal Haveli is not our personal property, we should be declared national criminals,” Rashid said, claiming that the government took this step after it failed to find anything against him.
The former federal minister went on to say that a case pertaining to the ownership of the Lal Haveli was already fixed for hearing on February 15.
Earlier today, the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) sealed seven units including two units of Lal Haveli and five adjoining units during let might operation.
— Rashid tells media about importance of Lal Haveli —
Addressing media outside the Lal Haveli, Rashid said Lal Haveli was a part of the “history” which was against [former military leaders] Ayub Khan and Yahya Khan and is also against the current government.
He said the haveli s security was withdrawn earlier, adding that “the [government] first gathered all the forces and then planned to arrest me”.
The seasoned politician alleged that Asif Khan was following the instructions of Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and warned the authorities concerned that he could stage a sit-in outside Lal Haveli and could shut down the entire city if he wanted.
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