An armored personnel carrier (APC) seen breaking through the gates of the Lahore residence of former Punjab Provincial Chief Minister Parvez Elahi (Image: Twitter/Dawn)
At least 27 people, except Parvez Elahi, were arrested at his residence in Lahore. Police and an ACE team arrived at his home to arrest him in a corruption case.
A large contingent of police from Punjab province raided the residence of former chief minister of Punjab province and chairman of Pakistani Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, Parvez Elahi, to arrest him Friday evening, according to GeoNews.
The drama outside his Lahore residence came to an end after the chief executive of the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) left the scene along with his fellow officers.
He alleged that his team was pelted with petrol bombs when they came to arrest Elahi.
Police cordoned off Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi road and then an armored personnel carrier (APC) broke down the main gate of the residence after people inside the residence resisted the police order to ‘open the gates so they can enter and arrest Elahi, according to GeoNews.
Police said they were pelted with stones by PTI supporters when they tried to enter the residence of the PTI chairman.
Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) officials came to Elahi’s residence to arrest him in a corruption case. They said a team from Gujranwala came to arrest the former chief minister.
Although the former chief minister’s legal team said his pre-arrest bail until May 6 was already taken by a court, the ACE team refused to relent and broke into inside, according to GeoNews.
There was also a team led by female officers who also went inside.
According to Dawn And GeoNews, at least 27 people were arrested and the police also arrested some women. Those arrested were mostly Elahi employees.
This is the third time this year that the residence of the president of the PTI has been raided. In February, Elahi’s house was raided twice.
Experts talk to GeoNews stressed that such a decision would only increase the popularity of the PTI and pointed out that members of the government, who are also facing several cases, have never been subjected to such night raids.
Imran Khan, former prime minister of Pakistan and head of the PTI, condemned the night raid and expressed concern about the “dismantling of democracy in Pakistan”.
He said his own home was similarly attacked earlier this year and said all the incidents were part of the ‘London Plan’ – referring to his predecessor Nawaz Sharif, the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-(N)), who cannot run for office due to corruption, but is accused of leading the government through his brother, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
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