Khawaja Asif blames Punjab govt for raid at Pervaiz Elahi’s house

SIALKOT: Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has blamed the Mohsin Naqvi-led Punjab government for the raid at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Pervaiz Elahi’s house, ARY News reported on Sunday.

Addressing a press conference in Sialkot, the federal minister denied the federal government’s involvement in raid on Elahi’s residence at Lahore’s Zahoor Elahi road, saying that the Punjab government was aware of the operation.

Khawaja Asif said that no PTI worker will ever come out for Pervaiz Elahi as they also do not come out for party chairman Imran Khan.

He also held former prime minister Imran Khan responsible for the crises that the country is faced with today, adding the former premier has fixed a rate list for party tickets.

A day earlier, the federal government distanced itself from the raid on Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi’s house, wherein 27 individuals including servants were arrested.

The resolve was expressed during a telephonic conversation between Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and PTI senior vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

Read More: MYSTERY SURROUNDS RAID AT PERVAIZ ELAHI’S HOUSE

Ishaq Dar noted that the federal government has ‘nothing to do’ with raid on Elahi’s house. “The raid was carried out by caretaker Punjab government,” he said, assuring that he will apprise the government of PTI’s reservations over the raid.

The raid

On April 28, Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) team along with a heavy contingent of Punjab Police raided former Punjab Chief Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi’s house, located at Zahoor Elahi Road in Lahore.

At least 25 individuals, including servants working in the household of the former Punjab chief minister, were arrested by the police during the raid.

The eight-hour-long police action came to a halt after the Director General of Punjab’s Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), Sohail Zafar Chattha, left the scene along with the police contingent.

The ACE team along with police contingents led by the superintendent police (SP) Model Town raided Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi’s house in Lahore. A large number of senior lawyers were present at the PTI president’s house at the time of the raid.

The police entered the house after jumping from the wall and an armoured personnel carrier (APC) of police broke the main gate of the residence.