Punjab Police and anti-corruption team Friday night raided Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Parvez Elahi’s residence, but after six hours-long operation, failed to apprehend the former chief minister.

The action drew strong criticism from the PTI, which has already been voicing concerns against the arrests of its workers and leaders.

The police action came to a halt when Director General of Punjab’s Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Sohail Zafar Chattha left the scene along with the police contingent.
Chattha, talking to the media at the former chief minister’s residence, denied committing any wrongdoing.

He said the security forces acted in accordance with law claiming a petrol bomb was thrown at the police party who was there to arrest Elahi. He added that the action was started by people present at Elahi’s residence, theywere not cooperating with the police.

The PTI had challenged appointment of Chattha as DG ACE. The Imran Khan-led party also challenged the decision of the Punjab caretaker government in court in February this year.
The anti-corruption team conducted this operation late at night at the residence of the former Chief Minister of Punjab in a case registered in Gujranwala, 27 people were detained in the operation.

Sources said that people detained by the police from the residence of Chaudhry Parvez Elahi were the employees of the former Punjab chief minister.
A heavy contingent of police, along with anti-corruption officials, raided Elahi’s house. The police cordoned off Chaudhary Zahoor Elahi Road outside the residence during the operation.

An armoured personnel carrier (APC) of police broke the main gate of the residence after the people inside the house resisted the law enforcers and tried to stop the arrest. Police claimed that stones were pelted at them, which injured 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 raid. Elahi’s lawyer Amir Saeed said police officials intended to arrest his client, despite him having been granted bail in a case by the Lahore High Court (LHC). Officials from the anti-corruption department then demanded to see the court’s bail order during the raid.

Son of former CM Ch Moonis Elahi slammed the police action, saying that the Punjab police had arrived at their residence to arrest his father, though he was granted bail in the case earlier on Friday.

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 Speaking to the media, Elahi’s lawyer stated that LHC’s Justice Tariq Saleem Shaikh had granted his client pre-arrest bail until May 6. Saeed added that the order of the high court was always received on the next day. “We have made them talk to the court’s official over the issue,” he said.

Police officials said that they had visited the Parvez Elahi’s residence to tell him that he was not granted bail in the case, but the police had to take action on resistance. Chaudhry Shafi’s hand was injured when police broke glasses of the house, while anti-corruption officials believed that Parvez Elahi was hiding in Shujaat’s house to avoid arrest. Anti-corruption officials said that operation would continue unless Pervez Elahi is arrested.

The police broke the door of Chaudhry Shujaat’s house and tortured Chaudhry Salik and Chaudhry Shafey. They also ransacked the house. On inquiry and introduction, the police asked Chaudhary Salik and Chaudhry Shafey to leave the house. Both of them said that they had no connection with Parvez Elahi. On this the police made it clear that the police would not leave without a thorough search.

The police searched the houses of Parvez Elahi, Ch Wajahat, Rasakh Elahi and Shujaat but could not find Ch Parvez Elahi. Later, the women officials were sent to the houses for a detailed search and they had to face resistance.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan condemned the police raid on Parvez Elahi’s house as illegal and said that there was a law of the jungle prevailing in the country.
“The misbehavior with the women of Parvez Elahi’s house is unacceptable, we are witnessing the loss of democracy in front of our eyes.”

Imran further said, “Enough is enough. I have not seen such brutality even in Musharraf’s martial law. Today I will give the nation a roadmap to stand against the violation of the constitution and democracy’.

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Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhary condemned the raid on Parvez Elahi’s house and said that this action had made it clear that the government’s negotiating committee and federal ministers had no importance.

He wrote, “On one side negotiations, on the other side arrests? The raid on Parvez Elahi’s house proves that Ishaq Dar, Saad Rafiq and Azam Tarar have no position in their government, strongly condemn this raid.”

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PTI leader Farrukh Habib also condemned and wrote that the fascist government had become blinded by power, the house of Parvez Elahi was attacked, the doors of the house were broken. The sanctity of the fourwalls was being violated. Parvez Elahi dissolved the Punjab Assembly and was being punished for it.

Vice president of Lahore High Court Bar Association Rabia Bajwa strongly condemned the police attack on Parvez Elahi’s house and said that the use of state power in that way was a negation of democratic principles and law, a clear deviation from the decision of the Lahore High Court and a mockery of it. It was akin to creating, violating the sanctity of the home which was the worst example of a civilian martial law.