One held in raids on houses of Punjab Assembly officials

LAHORE: Police carried out raids on the houses of multiple employees of the Punjab Assembly in the wee hours of Sunday and arrested Director General (DG) Parliamentary Affairs Rai Mumtaz. Others offcials, however, managed escape arrests ahead of the key session of the provincial assembly summoned by Speaker Parvez Elahi on Sunday.
The police raided the houses of Secretary Punjab Assembly Muhammad Khan Bhatti, and Secretary Coordination Inayat Ullah, but both the offcials were not present .
The Punjab Assembly spokesman confirmed the raids and said that the police went to the houses of Rai Mumtaz, Inayat Ullah, and Muhammad Khan Bhatti. “The police allegedly harassed the families of the officials and resorted to violence,” he said.
Speaker Punjab Assembly Pervaiz Elahi condemned the arrest of Rai Mumtaz and raids at the house of other assembly officials. “All action is being taken on the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif,” he said and added that the raids depict the government’s failure to prove its majority in the House.
It is to be noted that Punjab Assembly Speaker Ch Pervaiz Elahi has convened a session of the provincial assembly today (Sunday) in a surprise move ahead of the previous date fixed for the session. Earlier, the assembly session was scheduled for May 30.
This is the third time thatdate for the PA session has been changed as the speaker first gave the date of May 16 when the assembly was scheduled to meet in the first week of May. However, the session wasn’t held on the given date and was rescheduled for May 30.
Speaker Pervaiz Elahi has directed members of the Punjab Assembly to reach the Secretariat. He said that the members of the assembly should reach the Punjab Assembly at 12 o’clock.