Khadijah Shah has been arrested by police.
Aun Chaudhry, the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant, categorically denied a report in the media that he tried unsuccessfully to intervene with the police on behalf of Khadija Shah, the “prime suspect” in the May 9 attack on Corps Commander House (Jinnah House) in Lahore Cantt.
Chaudhry dismissed media stories regarding his efforts to secure assistance for Shah, the granddaughter of a former army leader, saying she had never visited the residence of Jahangir Khan Tareen’s daughter.
Following the May 9 riots, Punjab police began a huge operation, arresting hundreds of PTI supporters accused of being involved in the attacks on defense facilities.
The hunt for Shah, on the other hand, continues as she continues to elude capture, despite the army’s strict orders of “no mercy” to anybody involved in such crimes.
Shah continues to avoid authorities, despite the fact that her husband, Jehanzeb Amin, has been apprehended by police. Similarly, Salman Shah, the previous finance minister, was briefly detained before being released.
According to media accounts, the police raided an apartment in Gulberg based on a tip from Jehanzeb, but Shah managed to flee only minutes before the raiding force arrived. She was recorded on CCTV fleeing the building through the basement parking lot.
Surprisingly, the flat where she had been hiding belongs to Mehar Tareen, Jehangir Tareen’s daughter, and her husband, Umar Sheikh. Despite being there throughout the raid, the couple’s attempt to assist Shah was useless.
“Action should be taken against those involved in May 9 incidents,” he added.
Other powerful persons, in addition to the Tareen family, have been approached in an effort to get relief for Shah.
One of them is Chaudhry Shujaat Husain, a witness at Shah’s nikah. However, he changed his mind after discovering that the army has a zero-tolerance attitude against violators, treating all persons equally and without prejudice, according to the story.
Sirmed Amin, Shah’s father-in-law and a longtime friend of PM Shehbaz, met with him many times, the most recent on Monday. However, the prime minister’s efforts to help were futile, since he could only order the police to handle the situation in line with the law.
According to the story, which cited a reputable police officer, the army has said explicitly that no perpetrators will escape punishment. During a recent visit to Lahore, Army Chief Gen Asim Munir praised the police for their efforts and stated that no mercy will be shown to the perpetrators. He emphasized the need of making arrests legally and without demeaning the female charged.
Khadija, a US citizen, has recorded multiple audio recordings in which she maintains her innocence, stating that she was just present outside the corps commander’s residence and had no involvement in the ransacking.