Elahi's son moves LHC to halt police operations at residence

Petition says Friday's raid was a violation of fundamental human rights

LAHORE:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central President Pervaiz Elahi’s son Rasikh Elahi moved the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday to order the halt police operations at their residence and prevent the police from arresting his family members.

In his petition, Rasikh contended that police officials entered the house without search warrants and conducted an operation similar to those being conducted “in Waziristan or the tribal areas of South Punjab”.

The chief secretary Punjab, director general Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab, additional director ACE Punjab, senior superintendent of police (SSP) operations Lahore and superintendent of police (SP) Model Town Lahore were listed as respondents in the plea.

He detailed that on April 27, 2023, a first information report (FIR) was registered by ACE Gujranwala against Pervaiz Elahi who was later granted bail from the LHC till May 6.

Despite the court orders, on April 28 the respondents raided the house along with 300 to 400 police officials. He added that they broke the main gate of their residence with their armoured vehicle and entered the house without showing any respect to Elahi’s family.

"The police not only broke down the main gate but also the inner gates of the homes of Rasikh and Pervaiz Elahi and of Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain.

Read Pervez Elahi booked on terror charges hours after late-night raid

The police officials allegedly “threatened” them with dire consequences and closed the main road during the operation. No one was permitted to enter or exit Elahi’s residence.

He contended that Elahi’s legal team told the officials that he was on protective bail but the additional director of ACE Punjab vehemently denied obeying court orders. Rasikh quoted the ACE official as saying that he “had to fulfil the orders given to him and that the courts can be dealt with later”.

He submitted that during the operation the police officials illegally arrested 30 servants and drivers.

According to the petition, “Respondents have made the raids on the house of the petitioner with the mala fide and ulterior motives merely to politically victimise the petitioner’s father on the orders of the leaders of the ruling parties in the federation of Pakistan.”

It continued that “the use of unreasonable force while raiding the house” violated the fundamental rights of the petitioner and his family members.

Raid at Elahi's residence

A team of the ACE, Punjab, and the Lahore police conducted a raid in Lahore on Friday night to arrest Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.

The raiding teams remained on the premises of Elahi’s residence for more than three hours during which they took into custody around nine people, but were unable to find Elahi.

The ACE team, led by Additional Director Waqas Hassan, along with heavy contingents of the Anti-Riot Force (ARF), raided the residence of the former Punjab chief minister in a case reportedly registered at the ACE Gujranwala.

The raid at Elahi’s residence came hours after the ACE arrested a close friend of Elahi’s son, Moonis, on Friday.