File photo of Mahmood Khan Achakzai
The Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) on Sunday condemned a raid by the Quetta administration, which claimed to recover some government-owned land “illegally occupied” by party chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai, who is contesting the presidential election against Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Asif Ali Zardari.
According to the party, the raid was a reaction of “state institutions” over a recent speech of Achakzai in the National Assembly during which he slammed the establishment and warned it against interfering in politics. In a statement, however, Quetta Deputy Commissioner Saad Asad said the raid aimed to recover a parcel of land near Achakzai’s residence, alleging it was illegally occupied by the PkMAP chief.
“The revenue staff and law enforcement agencies recovered the illegally occupied land and took it into custody,” said Asad, adding an armed man guarding the land was arrested after he attempted to obstruct officials from performing their duties.
In a press conference, PkMAP Secretary General Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal condemned the raid and announced protest demonstrations nationwide today (Monday). “Everyone knows the purpose of conducting a raid at the residence of Mahmood Khan Achakzai,” he claimed, maintaining such tactics would not dent the party’s stance.
“We have received information that Mahmood Khan Achakzai and his children could be arrested through fake recovery of drugs from his residence,” he alleged, adding the lawyers’ community would observe strikes across the country on Monday to protest the Quetta administration’s action.
On Monday, Omar Ayub Khan of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)—which is supporting Achakzai’s candidacy—condemned the raid in the National Assembly. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari called for a probe into the incident to avoid making the presidential election “controversial.”