The Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) Monday sealed Lal Haveli, the residence of Awami Muslim League head Sheikh Rashid. According to the ETPB sources, six units of Lal Haveli had been sealed. The ETPB also wrote to the authorities concerned for the confirmation of the registry of one of the units of Lal Haveli. The decision of sealing or not sealing the unit will be made upon the confirmation of the registry by the authorities concerned. “The state land had been under occupation for a long time,” the ETPB authorities said.

A heavy contingent of Rawalpindi police had been deployed while the building was being sealed. On Saturday last, a civil court in Rawalpindi had rejected Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid’s petition challenging the Lal Haveli’s evacuation orders. Judge Naveed Akhtar had said that the court could not stop any department from taking action under the law. The AML chief had argued in his petition that the evacuation of Lal Haveli was political victimisation as the case related to the property was already in litigation.

Sheikh Rashid prayed in his plea that the Evacuee Trust Property Board be stopped from taking action that, he alleged, was a part of “settling the score against him”. He also claimed that he had the registry of one of the seven units D-158 of Lal Haveli. But even if it is so, the question arises why had Sheikh Rashid been occupying the remaining parts of the haveli for 27 years?

While talking to the media, Sheikh Rashid said that he would give a call for a sit-in. “Three parties from London want to make a film on Lal Haveli, which they [government] cannot bear. I am being paid a good amount of money for these films,” he claimed. The ETPB had already written a letter to the district administration for help in action against Sheikh Rashid’s Lal Haveli.Strong resistance was expected during the operation at Lal Haveli. But, not even a worker of Awami Muslim League (AML) or Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) showed up. After four hours of the operation, Sheikh Rashid’s nephew Sheikh Raashid reached Lal Haveli.

He told the media that they had the registry of one unit of Lal Haveli, adding that they would approach the court against the sealing of the haveli. It is to be noted here that Sheikh Rashid’s plea to obtain stay order to stop the ETPB action has already been rejected.

 
Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)