FAISALABAD, Oct 6: PPP leaders and workers foiled the attempt of armed police commandos to arrest their district president Chaudhry Muhammad Ilyas in an election meeting at Hajiabad late Saturday night.

The district Nazim did not allow the PPP to hold the meeting at Iqbal Park (Dhobi Ghat) on the pretext that the permission had already been granted to the PAT for the same day. The PPP changed the venue and decided to hold the election meeting at the Yakta Market of Hajiabad, a remote city area falling in NA-82.

The meeting started at 11.30 and former interior minister Aitzaz Ahsan was speaking when suddenly the entire area was encircled by police, elite commandos and heavy contingents of armed policemen.

Later, police commandos under the supervision of Saddar SP, Gulberg ASP, Civil Lines and Saddar DSPs climbed on the stage and tried to whisk away ex-MNA Chaudhry Muhammad Ilyas. However, PPP central leaders, including Makhdoom Amin Faheem, Qasim Zia, Rana Aftab Ahmed, and others put up strong resistance. In the meanwhile, the participants also fell into a rage and started chanting anti-government and anti-police slogans. Facing a stiff resistance both from the party leaders and participants, the raiding team was left with no option but to leave the stage. PPP leaders and policemen also exchanged harsh words.

During the scuffle between the PPP leaders and police, supporters of Chaudhry Ilyas provided him an opportunity to disappear from the scene.

The election meeting continued for more than two hours even after the incident and the crowd was charged and responsive throughout the public meeting.

Political observers said that this was the biggest public meeting as compared to the meetings held by the PML-QA, MP, PAT, MMA and other parties in the district during electioneering.

Chaudhry Ilyas was wanted by Toba Tek Singh police in a murder case registered by Gojra Saddar police. He was involved in hatching a conspiracy to kill a hawker, Muhammad Akram. He was allegedly shot dead by Liaquat and Nanha on June 21, 2000. The police has neither conducted investigation nor arrested any accused so far.

A local court had granted interim bail to Chaudhry Ilyas, Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali and Ghulam Murtaza till Oct 5. Ilyas could not appear before court on Oct 5 and sought extension on medical ground which the judge refused.

When contacted, Civil Lines DSP Mushtaq Ahmed said he had no knowledge about the raid nor any case had been registered in any police station. However, eyewitnesses and this scribe had seen the DSP at the time of raid.

Meanwhile, PPP leaders Makhdoom Amin Faheem, Aitzaz Ahsan, Qasim Zia, Rana Aftab Ahmed and others severely criticized the police raid and termed it an act of victimizing the PPP leaders and activists.

Meanwhile, a heavy police contingent raided the central election office of PPP nominee Dr Nisar Ahmed in NA-81 and outhouse of Chaudhry Ilyas in Chak 66-JB on Sunday.

Hundreds of police commandos headed by SHOs of Thikriwala and Saddar besieged the election office of former MNA and minutely checked the entire premises. Some policemen also entered the nearby houses to arrest Chaudhry Ilyas.

Finding no clue of him, the raiding team returned disappointed after one hour of search.

Chaudhry Ilyas told this correspondent on telephone that raids on the election meeting at Hajiabad and his outhouse were part of a campaign to please PML-QA nominee Chaudhry Talib Hussain and Warraich brothers of Gojra who were his old rivals.

He made an appeal to the Election Commission to take stock of the situation and direct the local police for not violating rules.

When contacted, Thikriwala muharrer said that the raid was conducted on the orders of high-ups.