In a dramatic turn of events, authorities in Rawalpindi have sealed the residence of Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, known as Lal Haveli, due to alleged invalid documents. The Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) Deputy Administrator, Asif Khan, revealed that the sealing of Sheikh Rashid’s residence was a result of the submission of inadequate documentation.
The order to vacate Lal Haveli was reportedly issued by the ETPB chairman, leading to an early morning operation to evict the occupants. The operation was carried out in the presence of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and a significant police contingent.
In response to the sealing of Lal Haveli, Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, the nephew of AML chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, released a video statement claiming that the property had been registered in the name of Sheikh Siddique in 1988. He asserted that all records related to the property had been submitted to the deputy commissioner of Rawalpindi. Shafiq also mentioned that they had submitted their response in the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench and planned to challenge the ETPB’s action in court.
Shafiq expressed his concerns, stating, “Today is the dark night of cruelty, efforts are being made to arrest me too.”
Following the operation, ETPB took control of Lal Haveli and deployed security personnel outside the residence.
This incident comes in the wake of previous sealing and unsealing of Lal Haveli earlier this year. On that occasion, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed had accused ETPB officials of misusing their powers under political influence.
Moreover, this development follows the recent arrest of Sheikh Rashid Ahmed in Rawalpindi, as confirmed by his counsel, Sardar Abdul Razaq. According to Razaq, Rashid was apprehended by unidentified individuals in plain clothes from a housing society in Rawalpindi. Notably, no case was registered against the AML chief in the limits of Punjab, with Rashid being nominated in a case related to a protest rally held on May 10 by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) against the detention of the former Prime Minister, Imran Khan.
