On Monday, Sher Afzal Khan Marwat, a leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and a Supreme Court Advocate, claimed that his house was raided at 2:00 am, and the individuals involved in the act were wearing masks.
Marwat made these claims before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) during a petition hearing on the recovery of Baloch students. IHC Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani expressed astonishment that such an incident was happening to Marwat, who is an elected member of parliament and a senior lawyer. The court noted that Marwat was talking about Islamabad, not Lakki Marwat.
The court raised concerns about the treatment an elected lawmaker received in the federal capital, wondering about the plight of a common man in Balochistan if such actions were taken against an elected representative.
In a tweet earlier, Marwat mentioned that the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) police raided his house, broke doors, and caused damages. He claimed they confiscated his laptop and stressed out his family and staff. Marwat stated that he managed to escape and is now in a safe place. He called the raid illegal and vowed to challenge the Inspector General (IG) and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Islamabad in court. He argued that the confiscation of his laptop was illegitimate, containing private and professional data that could be misused.
کل سی ٹی ڈی اور ایجنسیوں مل کر میرے گھر پر دھاوا بولا گھر کے دروازے توڑے اور گھر میں موجود افراد کو ہراساں کیا. میں مشکل سے وہاں سے نکلنے میں کامیاب ہوا اور اب محفوظ مقام پر موجود ہوں. میرا لیپ ٹاپ بھی اٹھا لیا گیا ہے میں اس گندے ہتھکنڈوں سے مرعوب نہیں ہوں گا اور میں ائی جی…
— Sher Afzal Khan Marwat (@sherafzalmarwat) February 18, 2024
However, Islamabad Police denied Marwat’s claims, stating that they did not raid his house. They called it fake news spread for public attention.
Justice Kayani questioned the inspector general of police’s behavior and suggested removing him if not rectified. He also questioned why a raid was conducted at night when Marwat was available during the day.
The IHC directed the home secretary to call the Islamabad IG and CTD to take a written statement from them regarding the incident.
Justice Kayani expressed disappointment, stating that the entire system, including judges, knew about what was happening but remained silent. He emphasized that if state institutions engage in such behavior, who will protect citizens from criminals? Marwat even suggested putting the Islamabad IG behind bars for 10 days to address the situation.