The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday directed the Punjab police chief and the director general of the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) to submit a detailed report regarding the late-night raid at the home of ex-Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi.The orders came during the hearing of a petition filed by Elahi’s son, Rasikh, against the raid at his father’s home.The government of Punjab through the chief secretary, the Punjab ACE director general and additional director general, the Lahore senior superintendent of police, and the Model Town superintendent were made respondents in the case.

The development came hours after authorities conducted yet another raid at Kunjah House in Gujrat, according to Elahi’s other son Moonis.“Punjab police again at Kunjah House in Gujrat to conduct another raid. I have told them to give them access although they still don’t have a search warrant,” he said in a tweet posted in the early hours of Tuesday.LHC’s Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar presided over Tuesday’s hearing during which Rasikh’s lawyer contended that raids were being conducted daily on the orders of the ACE and the Punjab police. “Raids are being conducted daily after new first information reports (FIRs) are registered,” he said.

The lawyer urged the court to stop authorities from arresting Elahi and registering another case against him until a detailed report was submitted. However, the request was rejected by the court.“Under what law can the court bar an arrest?” Justice Dogar asked. “How can we accept what you are saying until a report is submitted?” Rasikh’s lawyer went on to say that another raid was conducted at Elahi’s home in Gujrat last night.

The court then sought a detailed report from the Punjab ACE director general and the Punjab inspector general, while also directing the two to work within the ambit of the law. Earlier ACE and police officials had raided Elahi’s residence in Lahore to arrest him late on Friday night. The raiding team used an armoured vehicle to break open the main gate of the former Punjab chief minister’s Gulberg residence and arrested 12 people, mostly his employees, from the house. Female police officers also took some women into custody.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-INP