Dar’s residence turned into Panagah

LAHORE: The Punjab government Saturday shifted 17 homeless individuals to ex-finance minister Ishaq Dar’s residence after converting it into a Panagah (shelter home).

The district government officials, headed by Assistant Commissioner Model Town Zeeshan Ranjha, had brought these people from a footpath situated under 7-Up Bridge area of the city, and provided them with dinner at their new abode. Their interviews were also conducted by the media persons.

It is learnt that electricity and water supply have been restored at the new shelter home, but gas supply could not be restored immediately. A prayer room has also been set up in the house.

An official told The News that the district government had made arrangements for a total of 50 homeless individuals, including 35 males and 15 females, at the Panagah, who would be provided breakfast and dinner before and after their day’s work.

The official, who requested anonymity, said that the upper storey of the building was sealed where Ishaq Dar’s belongings were kept, while some of the household items were also kept in two store rooms at the ground floor of the house. “The household items have been duly protected and properly listed in a catalogue of the household items,” he added.

However, the scribe came to know from some individuals in the evening that some of those brought to the shelter home in the day had been sent back to their old places.

Sources told The News that the district government officials asked some of the homeless people to leave the house-turned-Panahgah Saturday night after registering them as temporary dwellers.

“We have been sent back to stay at our own places after completing our registration by noting our names and ID card numbers,” said Fouzia, wife of Aslam, who was brought from 7-Up Bridge, while talking to The News by phone. However, she could not confirm whether all of the temporary dwellers had been sent back. “We have been told that it would take a few more days before they would be allowed to stay at the house,” she added.

This scribe tried to contact Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hasan Chohan and Secretary Information Raja Jehangir Anwar to confirm the information, but their mobile phones were found switched off. The caretaker of the Panagah also did not allow entry into the building in the evening to meet the people brought there.

Meanwhile, Ishaq Dar announced filing a contempt of court application against the provincial government’s act of converting his residence into a shelter home in violation of the Islamabad High Court decision.

“It’s an illegal act and an unprecedented political victimisation against the opposition leaders,” said Ishaq Dar, a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senator and a close relative of Nawaz Sharif, in a video message from London on Saturday.

The accountability court had earlier ordered for auctioning of Ishaq Dar’s house to recover part of the plundered money, but the Islamabad High Court had suspended the order.

Ishaq Dar, who is in self-imposed exile in London currently, said the Punjab government had designated his residence for the homeless after failing in their bid to auction it.

The IHC, in its Jan 28 order, had barred the officials from auctioning the residence located in Gulberg area of Lahore, on his wife Tabassum Ishaq’s petition against the accountability court verdict.

Reacting to Ishaq Dar’s statement, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said an absconder, who fled to London, was making mockery of Pakistan’s law. “Dar’s residence in Lahore has been turned into a shelter home, whose current residents are its real owners now,” she added.

Meanwhile, various PML-N leaders condemned Punjab government decision to convert Ishaq Dar’s house into Panahgah and termed it an illegal act as the government didn’t have the ownership rights of the property.

“It’s an illegal act to turn the house into a Panahgah and the act will be thrown out on the first hearing,” said Marriyum Aurangzeb, party’s central information secretary, in a statement issued here on Saturday.