Police carried out a late night raid at the residence of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Parvez Elahi to arrest him.
The PTI has strongly criticised the police’s actions, voicing concerns regarding arrests of its workers and leaders, The News reported.
The eight-hour long police action late Friday night came to a halt after Sohail Zafar Chattha, the Director General of Punjab’s Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), left the scene along with the police contingent.
Chattha, talking to the media persons at the former Chief Minister’s residence, denied any wrongdoing.
He said that they did not act illegally and that a petrol bomb was thrown at the police party who came to arrest Elahi.
He noted that the action was initiated by individuals at Elahi’s residence, who were not cooperating with the police. Chattha’s appointment as DG ACE was objected to by the PTI.
The Imran Khan-led party also challenged the decision of the Punjab caretaker government in court in February this year.
Earlier, the police and anti-corruption officials partially halted their operation, claiming that although Elahi is not present at his residence, his mobile phone’s location shows that he is present there.
But after information from the arrested house help that Elahi is at his residence, they resumed it, The News reported.
At least 27 individuals, including domestic help working in the household of the former Punjab chief minister and PTI workers protesting at the scene, have been arrested.
The raid comes hours after the PTI and Pakistan Democratic Movement-led government held talks on election dates, with the former calling for stopping of their workers’ arrests, warning that the talks might derail if the law enforcers’ actions do not come to a halt.