Rashid’s Lal Haveli sealed again

RAWALPINDI:

The Punjab Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) on Thursday sealed Lal Haveli –the residence of Awami Muslim League (AML) chief and former interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed – amid heavy presence of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) personnel and police.

According to sources, the ETPB officials conducted an operation in the early hours with a heavy contingent of police and sealed all the units of Rashid’s Pindi residence. Women police also took part in the operation while none of the party workers were seen on the occasion.

The ETPB reclaimed the property on the orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan as its team led by Deputy Administrator Asif Khan completely sealed the Lal Haveli without any hindrance in the early hours of Thursday.

Sources said seven shops, including the ground floor of Lal Haveli, AML’s public secretariat, guest room, political sitting room, Rashid’s bedroom on the second floor, hall and other rooms were sealed during the operation.

In the presence of a heavy police force and FIA officials, the staff of the ETPB completely sealed the premises by putting the padlocks at the entry points.

Talking to the media after the operation was complete, the ETPB deputy administrator said the Lal Haveli has been completely sealed and the government has started confiscating the property of the former interior minister.

The Lal Haveli consists of three different units, he said, adding the registries of Rashid’s Lal Haveli were not fake but the documents he produced in his defence were inadmissible, hence,the chairman decided to proceed by cancelling the registries.

‘Unfair act’

Meanwhile, Rashid’s employee, Bhaiya – who has been taking care of the premises for about 20 years – said: “Today, my heart is crying tears of blood over the action against Lal Haveli in the absence of Sheikh Rashid.”

Terming the action against Lal Haveli in Rashid’s absence extremely unfair, he said the AML chief was being targeted for political revenge.

In a video statement released from an unknown location, Rashid’s nephew and former MNA Sheikh Rashid Shafiq said ETPB Deputy Administrator Asif Khan attacked Lal Haveli with a heavy contingent of police. “The deputy administrator admitted that Rashid’s documents were not forged,” he said, adding that the action was taken
without allowing them to be heard.

“Lal Haveli is the public secretariat and not a 15-16-storied commercial building from which we get income,” he said. “We hope that we will get relief from the Lahore High Court (LHC).”

Last month, the LHC’s Rawalpindi bench had barred the ETPB from taking unilateral action sans due deliberation. Earlier this year the LHC had ordered de-sealing of the AML chief’s residence, overturning a previous ETPB action.

Rashid’s disappearance

Shafiq said the real issue was Rashid’s disappearance along with his nephew and
employee. “We appeal to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take notice of his disappearance,” he said.

“We should only be informed about the well-being of Sheikh Rashid and he should be produced before
the courts,” he added.

After sealing the Lal Haveli, the ETPB staff also sealed a few commercial units of Dam Dama Mandir – the 54-marla ancient Hindu property in Raja Bazar – and issued notices to the families living in the residential units to vacate the property within a few days.

On the action against the Dam Dama Mandir, the traders of the chicken market said that all the commercial units have registries and various cases are pending in the courts.

“The ETPB staff come to take action every few months, and the traders are harassed by a heavy police contingent,” they said, announcing to move courts against the board.