Ch Shujaat seeks removal of officers involved in raid on residence

GUJRAT – A police team conducted a raid at the residence of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President and former chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi on Monday night.

Moonis Elahi, the son of former chief minister’s son, confirmed the development in a Twitter post where he also shared a video showing police official standing outside the house.

“Punjab police again at Kunjah House in Gujrat to conduct another raid. I have told them to give them access although they still don’t have a search warrant,” he wrote on Twitter.

Punjab police again at Kunjah House in Gujrat to conduct another raid. I have told them to give them access although they still don’t have a search warrant. pic.twitter.com/ZlEKT5CVoS

— Moonis Elahi (@MoonisElahi6) May 1, 2023

The police team along with officials of the anti-corruption department searched the house to take the former CM into custody. However, they returned without arrest after failing to find him at the home.

The raid comes days after police action at Mr Elahi’s Lahore residence on Friday night. The operation continued for six hours during which police broke the main gate of his residence, using an armored vehicle but it was halted after police and ACE officials failed to find him. The police also faced resistance during the operation with ACE DG Sohail Zafar Chattha claiming that a petrol bomb was hurled at the raiding party who came to arrest the former chief minister. During the raid, the police arrested 12 people including employees of the Chaudhry family.

The operation was later challenged in the Lahore High Court (LHC) by Parvez Elahi’s son Rasikh Elahi through his lawyer Amir Saeed, making the Punjab government, ACE and police respondents in the case.

The petitioner argued that the raid was conducted even though the LHC had approved protective bail for his father. He pleaded the court to issue an order for removing the police from the Zahoor Elahi Road.

He also sought orders to restrict the police from arresting Parvez Elahi, adding that action should be taken against the officers involved in the late-night raid. Rasikh urged the court to stop authorities from arresting his family members till decision on the petition.

The police action comes as the PTI and PDM government are set to hold crucial talks today in order to resolve the issues related to elections.

Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain condemning the police action on his house has called for the removal of officers involved in the raid,

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, the senior politician said the procedure adopted in this process is unacceptable.

“I strongly condemned how an armed personal carrier was used to take down the door of my house.”

The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) team along with a heavy contingent of Punjab Police on April 28 raided former Punjab chief minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Pervaiz Elahi’s house, located at Zahoor Elahi Road in Lahore. The raiding team mistakenly took down the door of Ch Shujaat’s residence. The houses of both leaders are adjacent.

After days of silence, the PML-Q chief said that he did not want to say anything which would harm national politics as the country is already in a lot of problems.

“When police went to PTI leader Ch Pervaiz Elahi’s residence, they were informed that he was at Ch Shujaat’s residence.

The policemen left Elahi’s residence and rammed into my house,” the PMl-Q leader said.

He lamented both his sons stopped the police from entering his house yet they tried to enter the house forcefully. In this raid,

both my sons were injured and the police left my house after two hours, he added.

The PML-Q chief further stated that when the police were questioned about the raid they stated that it was about embezzlement done in the development work done in Gujrat.

He clarified that both his sons were not related to the case.

Shujaat added that neither he nor his sons had anything to do with the case — pertaining to corruption in construction projects and commission from an international firm — on the basis of which police “attacked” his residence.

The PML-Q leader added that he would speak about the raid at another time and he has asked both his sons to be patient.

A day earlier, Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi said that he was “appalled” to know that the police stormed into the PML-Q president’s house to arrest the PTI leader.

The PTI strongly criticised the police’s actions, voicing concerns regarding the arrests of its workers and leaders.

Taking note of a tweet by Shujaat’s son, Chaudhry Saalik Hussain, the caretaker CM said that “no illegal action will be allowed by anyone”.