Police refuse help in Lal Haveli crackdown

FIA, ETPB teams return without taking action against residence of AMLP chief

RAWALPINDI:

Teams from Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) reportedly tried to launch a crackdown at Lal Haveli, the residence of Awami Muslim League Pakistan (AMLP) chief Sheikh Rashid. However, the Waris Khan police refused to cooperate with the teams as they did not have a written order, after which the teams left without any action.

Rashid, who also served as interior minister during the last PTI government, has termed the attempt a conspiracy of the federal government and a sign of its panic from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s anti-government long march, dubbed as ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’.

The PTI's long march, aimed at mounting pressure on the federal government to hold snap polls, had set off from Lahore's Liberty Chowk on Friday under the leadership of deposed premier Imran Khan. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif formed a federal-level committee on Saturday to hold talks with the PTI.

According to sources, the FIA and ETPB's teams reached Waris Khan police station with a heavy contingent on Saturday at 9am and requested the police to assist them in making arrival and departure reports in the police station’s daily diary.

The SHO Waris Khan Police Station sought a written order from the officers of FIA and ETPB to take action as per the rules. However, the teams failed to submit the written order to the local police and returned without any action.

The sources said that the two federal government institutions had sent a written letter to the Rawalpindi deputy commissioner, seeking action against Rashid's Lal Haveli.

On the other hand, the AMLP chief said that the FIA teams had reached Waris Khan police station in two buses seeking permission to raid Lal Haveli.

He said that the federal government is making every effort to arrest him as it was afraid of his participation in the long march. “The whole nation stands with Imran Khan,” he said, adding that the people of Rawalpindi will come out in support of the former prime minister.

“FIA knows that I am present in Lahore to participate in the long march,” he said, questioning the purpose of raiding his residence in his absence.

On the other hand, ETPB Administrator Asif Khan denied the report of any raid at Lal Haveli to arrest Rashid. He said that the ETPB teams are taking action of retrieving the properties on the orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. “There is a list of properties to be evicted, but Lal Haveli is not mentioned in the list,” he said, adding that the teams are currently engaged in operations on Murree Road and will also go to Iqbal Road and Dhok Dalal for action against the illegal occupations.

According to a spokesperson for the FIA, it is not the first time that the FIA teams have come out for action aimed at retrieval of the ETPB's properties. “The FIA has been involved in such operations against illegal occupations in the past as well,” the spokesperson said, clarifying that the agency has not received any complaint against the former interior minister.

Earlier this month, the Rawalpindi district administration issued a notice to the AMLP chief, asking him to vacate his Lal Haveli residence within seven days.

Media reports said the ETPB in a notice said Rashid and his brother lost the 'legal possession' of the property as neither had they responded to the authority’s notice nor did they pay the mansion’s arrears.