Lahore: Police raided the residence of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Pervez Elahi late in the night to arrest him. Expressing concern regarding the arrest of its workers and leaders, PTI has strongly criticized the police action. The police action, which lasted for eight hours late on Friday night, led by the Director General of Punjab’s Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Sohail Zafar Chatha. After leaving the scene together, there was a pause. Chatha denied any wrongdoing while talking to media persons at the former chief minister’s residence.
They said that they had not acted illegally and that a petrol bomb was hurled at the police party that had come to arrest Elahi. He said the action was initiated by persons at Elahi’s residence, who were not cooperating with the police. PTI had objected to the appointment of Chatha as DG ACE. The Imran Khan-led party had also challenged in court the decision of the caretaker government of Punjab in February this year.
Earlier, police and anti-corruption officials partially halted their operation, claiming that Elahi was not present at his residence, with the location of his mobile phone showing that he was there. Reportedly, after getting information from the arrested house help that Elahi was at his residence, they resumed it. At least 27 people have been arrested, including a domestic help working at the former Punjab chief minister’s house and PTI workers protesting at the scene.
The raids came hours after the PTI and the Pakistan Democratic Movement-led government held talks on election dates, in which the PTI demanded a halt to arrests of its workers and warned of further action if law enforcers did not act. If it stops then the talks can get derailed.
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