DERA ISMAIL KHAN: PTI provincial president Sardar Ali Amin Khan Gandapur evaded arrest during a raid by the cantonment police on his house here on Thursday midnight.

He was wanted by the police for “threatening” caretaker Chief Minister Azam Khan through a letter, a police official said on Friday.

He said the PTI leader’s letter, which went viral lately, carried several allegations against the chief minister and tried to incite people to violence against him.

The official said the cantonment police raided the house of Mr Gandapur on the orders of district police officer Abdur Rauf Babar Qaiserani and under the supervision of DSP (City Circle) Hafiz Mohammad Adnan and station house officer of the cantonment area Gul Sher.

He said the PTI leader wasn’t present at home during the raid.

The official, however, claimed the police recovered several trucks loaded with flood and coronavirus relief goods along with slingshots and sticks from the house.

The PTI leader’s family insisted that the police took away their “valuables”.

However, the police rejected the assertion sayingthey seized flood and Covid-19 relief items, which belonged to the government and were released by the administration for the poor people.

Meanwhile, PTI leader Gandapur’s father retired Major Aminullah Khan Gandapur formally sought action against the DPO, DSP and SHO over the “illegal” raid.

In an application filed with the head of the cantonment police station, he said that 70-75 policemen led by DSP (City Circle) Hafiz Mohammad Adnan and SHO of the cantonment police station Gul Sher illegally raided his house on Thursday midnight on the “instructions” of DPO Abdur Rauf Qaiserani and illegally took away five expensive cars.

He insisted that the police also damaged Rs2.5 million furniture, windows, doors and household items, and Rs1 million CCTV cameras and other devices, and took away three mobile phones of servants along with licensed weapons, accessories and PTI flags.

The applicant claimed that the police had no authority to enter his house and breach family’s privacy.

He demanded strict action against the “culpable” police officials.

Published in Dawn, Aug 5th, 2023