Paskhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Chairman Mahmood Achakzai’s residence in Quetta was raided by police late on Sunday night. The raid comes a few days before the presidential election in which Achakzai is a candidate.
Videos on social media showed a long line of vehicles entering Achakzai’s street at night.
PkMAP Secretary General Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal said that the raid had been carried out without warrant or presence of a magistrate.
Ziaratwal denounced the raise as a ‘pressure tactic’ and said that the raid was carried out after Achakzai exposed electoral rigging.
The party has also announced protests against the raid at 3 pm on Monday. Achakzai himself is yet to make a statement on the raid.
Multiple political leaders condemned the raid on Achakzai, expressing their outrage. Sardar Akhtar Mengal said that he strongly condemned the raid which indicated lack of tolerance for truth.
“Outraged by the raid on Mahmood Khan Achakzai’s residence. Zero tolerance for truth is loud and clear. Strongly condemn.”
PTI’s Omar Ayub Khan also condmened the incident, adding that such tactics were to be expected from the Shehbaz government.
“As I had mentioned in my speech in the National Assembly, these tactics should be expected from Shahbaz Sharif’s fascist government.”
Achakzai is the Sunni Ittehad Council’s candidate for March 9’s presidential election. He will be up against Asif Ali Zardari.
In a fiery speech in the Assembly on Friday, Achakzai had criticised rigging in elections and called for people’s mandate to be respected.
On the other hand, former Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai rejected claims about the raid.
The former minister said that authorities had undertaken action to free up illegally occupied land and said that that Achakzai’s home was not entered into.
