Problem of Sheikh Rashid’s Lal Haveli or 10-marla encroachment

ETPB courts order vacation of illegally occupied land; Rashid refuses to leave Haveli; Siddiqul Farooq advises AML chief to obey court order

RAWALPINDI: The Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) court in its decision on Wednesday ordered the Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed to vacate a portion (10 marla) of Lal Haveli within 15 days, otherwise the department has the right to use force in case of violation of this order.

Shaikh Rashid Ahmed has received a notice by the ETPB administrator in this regard. On the other hand, the AML chief has showed a strong reaction against this decision and said he will never leave Lal Haveli at any cost. He did not talk about the 10-marla portion.

The ETPB Chairman, Siddiqul Farooq, said that Sheikh Rashid should obey the court order. The case was filed by Sheikh Rashid’s brother that Sheikh Sahib had illegally occupied 10-marla land of Lal Haveli for years. There was a big hall of five marlas and some shops on the other five-marla land which Sheikh Rashid Ahmed allegedly occupied for years. He said that Sheikh Rashid occupied this land in Pervez Musharraf’s era when he was in full power at that time. “We will never spare Sheikh Rashid who occupied land of millions of rupees for a long time,” he warned.

The AML chief told The News that nobody could even touch his Lal Haveli. “It is my forefathers’ property and I will never leave it at any cost. Even my dead body will appear from Lal Haveli,” he claimed. He said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government has gone crazy while trying to irritate him through different tactics but he will face them with a brave heart.

He said on October 28 he will announce to lock down Rawalpindi as well as on November 2. He said he may fly to London after the October 28 rally where he will meet Dr Tahirul Qadri.

Lal Haveli is a famous Haveli (residence) as well as the political centre for Sheikh Rashid. It is located in the central part of old Rawalpindi near Raja Bazaar. This structure is said to have been the abode of a famous prostitute of the area before the independence of Pakistan. It had a Masjid and a Temple built within the confines of its residence, perhaps in order to placate the guilt of her clients. The woman was murdered for reasons unknown and thus her ownership of this building ended.

Sheikh Rashid used to be a minor bookseller in this area at the time, his place of business being just a few meters from the front entrance. It is said that his infatuation with the grand building and its owner led him to buy the building later on in his life when he had the means to do so.