ISLAMABAD – The federal government has distanced itself from the recent police raid on the residence of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Parvez Elahi.
The raid was conducted by the Punjab caretaker set-up, said Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, expressing regret over the incident. He said that it was a violation of the sanctity of family dignity.
During a meeting with PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar clarified that the federal government had nothing to do with the attack on Elahi’s house. Dar added that he would inform the ruling alliance’s leadership about the PTI’s reservations regarding the police action and get back to the opposition party on the matter soon.
The police raid, which lasted for more than six hours, drew strong criticism from the PTI, which has been voicing concerns against the arrests of its workers and leaders. The party has accused the Punjab caretaker government of conducting the raid and using illegal means to attack the house of Elahi.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has criticised the PTI leaders for using women and children as shields to evade arrest, stating that both Imran Khan and Elahi were not arrested when police conducted a raid at their residence.
Chaudhry Salik Hussain, PML-Q leader and the nephew of Elahi, has said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the police raid in a phone call with him. The incident has sparked controversy, with opposition parties accusing the government of using illegal means to target their leaders and workers.
The federal government’s statement distancing itself from the raid is seen as an attempt to quell the controversy and maintain the image of a democratic government that respects the rights of citizens.
