Parvez Elahi says police raided Zahoor Palace

LALAMUSA: Former chief minister Punjab Parvez Elahi has said that the police raided the Zahoor Elahi Palace at 4:30am on Wednesday and harassed the staff members, including women, and left the place when a number of people gathered there.

He told the media that all organisations in the city had decided to take out protest processions against the police action, as the caretaker government was victimising him.

Sources confirmed the police had raided former chief minister Punjab Chaudhry Parvez Elahi’s residence in Gujrat in early hours of Wednesday. A large contingent of police raided the Kunjari House, the residence of Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PMLQ) senior leader. Staff at the house told The News that police used a ladder to force their entry into the house at around 5am and left the place at 8am after a thorough house search. “Mohsin Naqvi sits in the CM office all day and hatches plots against us. It is the habit of the Sharifs to target their opponents whenever they get a chance,” Elahi said.

Taking to his Twitter account, Elahi said the caretaker government of two months should refrain from such tactics. “We will go to the court against these illegal actions of the caretaker government. “We have full faith in the independent judiciary. The government is using police and administration for revenge, while terrorism is on the rise in the country.”

Sources said the police conducted the raid on Kunjari House to arrest PMLQ leader Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain in a case registered at the Kaklari Police Station on January 16. Wajahat Hussain and his son Musa Elahi were booked for violence during clashes, which broke out over the change of the name of Kotla Arab Ali Khan Civil Hospital. News Desk adds: The Punjab Police said the raid was conducted at former chief minister’s Gujrat residence to arrest PMLQ leader Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain. In a statement, the law enforcement agency said that the police left the place after they failed to find Wajahat during their search.

The police said the case was registered against the PMLQ leader and his son over the violence that took place when clashes broke out over the change of name of Kotla Arab Ali Khan Civil Hospital. Police said both were present during the incident. The police statement said Musa and Wajahat were named in the case. Musa had already obtained bail in the case, but Wajahat was yet to get bail. Wajahat and Musa were booked under terrorism charges after an audio leaked, showing they were allegedly plotting to kidnap some women lawmakers.

In the audio, the duo could be heard planning to threaten the lawmakers, forcing them to go underground. The complainant said that following the audio leak, Musa and Wajahat appeared in Kotla Arab Ali Khan with nearly 25 armed men and terrorised local residents at gunpoint. In the complaint, it was alleged that armed men allegedly thrashed many locals and threatened elders of the area with kidnapping and killing. They allegedly also opened fire on the elders and then fled.