Police book Pervaiz Elahi, 50 others on terror charges after raid,

Lahore_Following the police operation at PTI President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi’s residence in Lahore last night, party Chairman Imran Khan has called an important meeting today to deliberate on whether to continue negotiations with the government or not.

The meeting will likely decide on continuing negotiations with the government on holding elections the same day across the country as well as the future plan of action.

The meeting will consider all options, including protest, against the police raid on Elahi’s residence.

On Friday night, police and an anti-corruption team carried out an unsuccessful raid at Elahi’s residence to arrest him at around 11pm. The Zahoor Palace was searched three to four times, but the PTI official could not be found.

Meanwhile, Elahi and 18 others have been booked in a case of pelting stones at and violence on the police during a raid of the anti-corruption department on his residence late on Friday night.

he Lahore police on Saturday registered a case against Punjab former chief minister and PTI President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and over 50 other unknown persons on terrorism charges,

The case was registered in the Ghalib Market Police Station in Lahore on the complaint of a duty officer after police faced stiff resistance following their raid conducted to arrest Pervaiz Elahi in a corruption case at his residence late last night.

According to the FIR, when the police arrived at Pervaiz Elahi’s residence to arrest him, his employees locked the house from the inside and a number of people inside the house threatened the raiding team, pelted them with stones, and even doused petrol on them, causing a fire to ignite.

The FIR was registered under Section 7 of the 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 weapons), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of the 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.

The legal team of Elahi said that they would move to the court for obtaining bail in the case.

Elahi’s son moves to LHC against raid  

The son of former Punjab chief minister and PTI President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Saturday filed a petition in the Lahore High Court against the late-night raid by the police at his father’s residence in the Gulberg area of Lahore.

Rasikh Elahi made the Punjab government, Anti-Corruption Establishment DG, SP Operations and others respondents in his petition.

He pleaded with the court to take action against officers who conducted a raid at his father’s residence on Zahoori Elahi Road, besides beseeching it to issue an order for the halt of the raid.

He petitioned that the raid on his father’s house is illegal and a violation of basic rights. He said that the court has accepted his father’s protective bail in the anti-corruption case till May 6.

He pleaded with the court to direct authorities to provide details in the court if there is some new FIR registered against his father.

He rued that despite the fact that the court had already granted bail to his father, the Anti-Corruption Establishment and police conducted raid and harassed the family members.

He implored the court to issue orders for the clearance of Zahoor Elahi Road and removal of law personnel from there.

He beseeched the court to order police to not arrest Pervaiz Elahi till his protective bail expires on May 6.

Rasikh also requested the court to order the authorities to not arrest the family members till the final decision on his petition.

Court sends 17 accused arrested during raid on Elahi’s house on judicial remand 

The accused including employees and workers of Ch Pervaiz Elahi arrested during the police raid on his residence were presented before an anti-terrorism court in Lahore on Saturday.

While rejecting the police plea for physical remand, the court sent 17 accused to jail on a 14-day judicial remand.

Elahi’s lawyer Amir Saeed Ran requested the court to quash cases against the accused as they are just servants.

Police sought physical remand of the accused to recover batons and sticks from their possession.

During the hearing, ATC Judge Ijaz Ahmad Buttar remarked that accused Mubarak Shah and Muhammad Nawaz are just a gardener and a driver. He said that Mubarak Shah is an old man, remarking that police wrongfully arrested both Shah and Nawaz. He ordered the police to quash the case against them.

The judge sent the other 17 accused to jail on judicial remand.

The accused included Zikar Elahi, Ghulam Mohayuddin, Muhammad Nawaz, Muhammad Saqib, Muhammad Boota, Mehmood Ahmad, Muhammad Hussain, Abid Mehmood., Masood Ahmad, Munir Ahmad, Malik Ashiq Hussain, Mumtaz Hussain, Muhammad Sabir, Adalat Khan, Abdul Majeed, Muhammad Bashir, Samiullah and Mubarak Shah.

Police fail to arrest Elahi

Earlier, the Anti-Corruption Establishment and police have so far failed to arrest Punjab former chief minister and PTI President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi after conducting a raid at his Lahore residence which started last night and continued for almost seven and a half hours.

The total number of arrests being made at Elahi’s residence has reached 25. Police have rounded up mostly staffers employed at his house. A housemaid was also arrested but police later released her.

An armoured police vehicle barged into Elahi’s house after breaking open its main gate. Police rummaged through all the rooms in the house but could not find Elahi.

As the police force entered the house, they had to face resistance by the house occupants and employees who pelted them with stones. A police official got injured during the clash.

Chaudhry Shafey Hussain also got hurt when a glass shrapnel hit him.

The search operation which continued for seven and a half hours ended in the wee hours of Saturday after law personnel left the place. Officials of the Anti-Riot Police were also present on the Zahoor Elahi Road in Gulberg.

The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) and police late Friday conducted a joint raid at the residence of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Pervaiz Elahi in Lahore to arrest the former Punjab CM in a corruption case.

The legal team of Parvaiz showed up at the scene to argue that the former chief minister was granted pre-arrest/protective bail.

As the raiding team led by the ACE regional director sought the court orders, the counsel presented a letterhead, stressing that the bail was granted by the court of Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh till May 6 but certified bail orders were not gotten.

However, the Anti-Corruption Establishment said that its Gujranwala team had arrived at Elahi’s house to arrest him in a new corruption case registered only a day before.

ACE Additional DG Waqas Hassan said that it’s a legal modus operandi to arrest the accused once a case is registered against him.