LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Inaf (PTI) President and former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi's son Rasikh Elahi on Saturday moved the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the late-night police action at his father's property in Lahore and the arrest of scores of people.
A heavy contingent of Punjab Police Friday night raided Parvez Elahi's residence to arrest him, drawing strong criticism from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Inaf (PTI), which has been voicing concerns against the arrests of its workers and leaders.
The hours-long police action came to a halt after Sohail Zafar Chattha, the Director General of Punjab's Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), left the scene along with the police contingent.
Rasikh Elahi, in his petition made the Punjab government, ACE and inspector general (IG) of Punjab respondents, urging the court to intervene.
The petition termed the late-night raid "illegal and a violation of fundamental rights". It added that the court had granted bail in the anti-corruption case till May 6.
The petition also requested the court to pass an order "to clear the Zahoor Elahi Road from the illegal occupation of police and direction to be issued to respondents to vacate the house of petitioner and if there is any FIR against the petitioner that should be brought before this Honourable Court."
It further requested the court to ensure the fundamental rights of the petitioner and direct be issued to stop the raid/operation and not arrest Elahi till the expiry of his bail.
Rasikh also requested the court to take action against those involved in the "illegal raid and have misused their powers and violated the fundamental rights of the petitioner."
PTI Chairman Imran Khan strongly condemned the police action against Elahi, saying that it was an illegal raid on his home, with no regard for the presence of women and family members.
Taking to Twitter, Imran Khan expressed his concern regarding the dismantling of democracy in Pakistan, asserting that the Constitution, Supreme Court's verdicts, and fundamental rights of the people are being disrespected, and the law of the jungle is being imposed.
Imran Khan alleged that the London Plan was being used to crush his party's morale. He said that his own residence was attacked and now the same is being done to Elahi by a group of corrupt individuals and their handlers.
He questioned whether the state would dare raid the homes of the looters and money launderers such as the Sharif and Zardari families in the same manner.
Declaring that enough is enough, Imran Khan announced that he would present a roadmap to the nation on how to resist the destruction of Pakistan's constitution and democracy.
Meanwhile, the PTI contacted the government's negotiation team and vehemently registered their protest against the late-night action and arrests, said the sources.
The sources of a private TV channel said that PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry called on Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Muhammad Saad Rafique and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar in this regard.
Fawad Chaudhry, during the negotiation, expressed extreme displeasure over the raids and political victimisation of PTI leaders.
"Negotiations and political witch-hunt cannot go hand-in-hand. The dialogue was taking place in a pleasant environment, why was Parvez Elahi's house raided?" he questioned.
According to sources, Tarar and Rafique have assured Fawad Chaudhry of looking into the issue seriously.
Meanwhile Punjab Police on Saturday registered a case against former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi and others, claiming that its officials were “attacked with stones, batons and petrol” during a raid on the PTI leader’s house in Lahore to arrest him in a corruption case the previous night.
The raiding team, which included officials of Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) and police, had used an armoured vehicle to break open the main gate of the former Punjab chief minister’s Gulberg residence and arrested 19 people, mostly his employees, from the house. Female police officers had also taken some women into custody.
The police officials had thoroughly searched the house but was unable to find Elahi. They had also tried to force their entry into the adjoining residence of PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, but they were resisted by Shujaat’s sons Chaudhry Salik Hussain and Chaudhry Shafay Hussain.
A first information report (FIR) was lodged on Saturday at Lahore’s Ghalib Market Police Station invoking Section 7 of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, and Section 324 (attempted murder), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 109 (abetment), 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 212 (harbouring offender), 427, 434 and 440 of the Pakistan Penal Code.
According to the FIR registered on the complaint of a duty officer, when the police arrived at Elahi’s residence to make the arrest, his employees “locked the house from the inside, while a countless” number of people present inside threatened the raiding team, pelted them with stones, and even doused petrol on them, causing a fire to break out“.
As a result, the complainant claimed, more police contingents were summoned to control the situation and an APC van was used to gain entry into the house.
According to the FIR, Elahi used the rear entrance of the house to escape as his supporters and workers “baton-charged the police party”.