LAHORE, May 25: Prominent fashion designer and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporter Khadija Shah has been taken into custody in relation to the assault on Jinnah House that took place in Lahore following the arrest of party chairman Imran Khan on May 9.
Khadija Shah turned herself in at the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) Iqbal Town police station on Tuesday. Police officials confirmed the arrest of the fashion designer.
The daughter of former finance minister Salman Shah and the brains behind the fashion label Elan, Khadija Shah is suspected to have been among those leading the attack on the Jinnah House, which is currently used as the residence of the Lahore Corps Commander.
A few days earlier, in an audio clip circulating on social media before her surrender, Shah could be heard explaining the immense hardship her family has faced over the past few days.
“They invaded my house during midnight and abducted my father, brother, and husband,” she stated, noting that her father, who is diabetic, and her brother were detained.
Khadija Shah, who is also the daughter-in-law of former Chief of Army Staff Gen (retd) Asif Nawaz Janjua, clarified that she believes in democracy and the Constitution, despite the charges levied against her. “I have not committed any crime and I am a Pakistani who believes in democracy and the Constitution.”
Prior to her surrender, police claimed to have unsuccessfully raided two houses in Gulberg and one in Bahria Town to apprehend Shah. It was claimed that she had left her flat dressed in a burqa an hour before the police arrived and was using a friend’s mobile phone for communication.
The release of the audio clip on Sunday and her subsequent disappearance had led social media users to wonder about the whereabouts of the fashion designer.
The attack on Jinnah House is part of a larger series of violent protests and riots following the arrest of Imran Khan on May 9, which the Pakistan Army now refers to as a “Black Day.”
Along with public and private properties, significant damage was caused to the Jinnah House, with rooms, halls, drawing rooms, living rooms, walls, curtains, doors, wooden ceilings, and even the floor being burnt by protesters.
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