LAHORE: Senior politician Makhdoom Javed Hashmi alleges that Punjab Police officials unlawfully entered his residence late on Wednesday night, arresting his son-in-law, grandson, and servants.

However, the Multan police chief rejected the arrests and termed the raid violation of section 144 imposed in the province.

Mr Hashmi said 20 police officials had surrounded his residence in Makhdoom Rasheed at 1:00am and violated the sanctity of the house by entering without a warrant. A PTI workers’ convention was scheduled to be held at the residence where the raid took place, according to the senior politician.

“My son-in-law Shahid Bahar Hashmi and grandson Qasim Hashmi have been taken into illegal custody,” he wrote on his X account. All employees had been arrested, he added.

Reject trespass, arrest charges; say raid conducted over Section 144 breach

He claimed that police entered his house by breaking the doors, posting pictures of the broken doors on social media site.

Mr Hashmi said that PTI-backed candidates Meher Bano Qureshi and Zain Qureshi were to attend the convention as well.

Meanwhile, Makhdoom Zahid Bahar Hashmi said the workers’ convention would take place at Hashmi’s residence and the candidate for NA-151 Meher Bano would also attend it.

Multan City Police Officer (CPO) Sadiq Ali Dogar said the police had conducted the raid over violation of section 144. The candidates were holding workers convention without permission of the police and the deputy commissioner.

He said the police had raided the house to stop the convention and the participants pelted the personnel with stones, causing injuries to some of them.

Mr Dogar rejected Mr Hashmi’s claim, saying that the police did not arrest anyone in the raid.

He said no one would be allowed to violate the section 144.

Earlier this week, Hashmi had announced his withdrawal from the NA-149 election and the launch of a movement for the release of former premier Imran Khan.

Addressing a press conference at his residence, Hashmi said he had always supported anyone who fought against the establishment. He said he had backed Nawaz Sharif when he was excluded from the 2018 election by the establishment, which had allegedly supported Imran and PTI.

Hashmi said he had left the party in 2014 after disagreeing with Imran’s decision to stage a sit-in in Islamabad against the Nawaz government. He said he had rejoined the PML-N in 2018 after reconciling with the Sharifs.

Hashmi accused the establishment of being responsible for the country’s economic and political woes.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2024