Late-night police raid fiasco on Parvez Elahi’s residence:11 staffers arrested, Former Punjab chief minister not found
11 staffers were arrested in a late-night police raid fiasco on Parvez Elahi’s residence Lahore on Friday night however, the former Punjab chief minister was not found!
Late Friday night, the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) and police 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.
Police faced resistance during the raid making it to barge into the residence.
Anti-riot police personnel also joined the raid while Model Town SP Amara Shirazi and local police SHO were also present on the occasion.
The legal team of Parvez Elahi showed up at the scene and maintained that he was granted pre-arrest/protective bail.
The action has drawn strong criticism from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Inaf (PTI), which has been voicing concerns against the arrests of its workers and leaders.
شاباش پنجاب پولیس. اسی لیے چودھری پرویزالٰہی نے بیوروکریٹس کی مرضی کے خلاف آپ کو مراعات دلوائیں pic.twitter.com/P0j5x5G8wW
— Moonis Elahi (@MoonisElahi6) April 29, 2023
Ch Pervaiz Elahi has got the bail from court today so why is police illegally entering his house to arrest him? Every day human rights are being violated by this shameful regime! pic.twitter.com/B2U24OaVzs
— PTI (@PTIofficial) April 28, 2023
This insane and blatant attack on the home of #PervaizElahi , arrest of the women in house, shows the cowardly state of this govt & it's handlers.
— Dr. Yasmin Rashid (@Dr_YasminRashid) April 28, 2023
This isn't a terrorist's residence.
There is no crime except that which this fascist govt is committing. pic.twitter.com/GeAIWLKwXP
Late night operation: Pakistan's Punjab Police enters Former Chief Minister Punjab and President PTI Pervaiz Elahi’s house in Lahore. pic.twitter.com/bkkYnyAJEA
— Ghulam Abbas Shah (@ghulamabbasshah) April 28, 2023
Anti-corruption and police officials raided Elahi’s residence using an armoured vehicle to break open the main gate and arrested nearly 20 people, his employees and some party workers.
The FIR, registered by ACE official Safdar Hussain, mentioned that the police arrested 19 people on the charges of terrorism and upon resistance during the raid.
“The ACE team carried out a raid at Parvez’s house in a bid to arrest him,” the FIR states.
The FIR mentioned that about 40-50 people present inside the residence pelted stones and resorted to violence. It also said that the people also threw petrol bombs at the police during which Parvez escaped from his house.
The FIR invoked Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, while others include:
- Section 324 — attempted murder
- Section 353 — assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty
- Section 109 — abetment
- Section 147 — punishment for rioting
- Section 148 — rioting, armed with deadly weapon
- Section 149 — every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object
- Section 186 — obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions,
- Section 212 — harbouring offender
- and sections 427, 436 and 440 of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Following the raid, Parvez’s his son, Rasikh Elahi, filed a petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the “illegal” act.
Rasikh Elahi, in his filed petition, made the Punjab government, ACE and inspector general (IG) of Punjab parties, and urged 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 to Elahi in the anti-corruption case till May 6.
