Khadijah Shah, the prime suspect in the attack on the Lahore Corps Commander House, has been detained by law officials.
Khadijah Shah, a staunch supporter of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, was detained after the Punjab government tightened the noose around May 9 rioters, who damaged and vandalized civil and military installations in protest of Khan’s detention.
The renowned fashion designer emerged from hiding after days of hiding after police raided her home and detained her husband.
According to police, Khadijah Shah is the prime suspect in the Jinnah House attack. When the cops arrived, Khadijah Shah fled through the back door, which was also recorded on CCTV, according to the police.
After allegedly avoiding a police raid, Shah relayed her account in an audio letter that has gone viral on social media. The social activist and proprietor of a well-known fashion brand stated that she is willing to surrender but only recently revealed her side of the tale. She claimed that cops illegally entered her home and detained his aging father, husband, and even brother.
“The policemen even roughed up my husband in front of my children,” the PTI activist said, adding that she finally decided not to let her family bear the brunt of what she has done.
Calling the situation alarming, Shah, who holds dual nationality, said she’s trying to have a word with the embassy to sort out things as the crackdown intensifies.
She clarified that she is not part of PTI officially, but remained vocal about the cause independently. Recalling May 9 events, the socialite said she flocked to Lahore’s Liberty Chowk to be part of a PTI protest against the arrest of the former premier.
Shah mentioned meeting PTI leader Andaleeb Abbas at Lahore’s famous roundabout where the party officials decided to move towards the corps commander’s house to record their protest. The crowd continued to gain pace when we entered the Lahore Cantonment, she added.
“Emotions were running high, and I told people not to damage the assets as it opposed the cause under which we gathered here to record the protest, but the crowd was quite big, with fewer organizers to manage them,” she clarified.
As the audio clip continued, she stated that she never entered the Jinnah House but did document everything. She was active on Twitter and other social media networks, admitting to posting videos and images of the incident, which she believes is her right under the First Amendment.
She spread her version because she wanted everyone to hear her side of the story before law enforcement arrested her.
Earlier, it was alleged that Khadijah Shah was given shelter by a man named Umar Sheikh, as authorities continued to monitor those implicated in the May 9 attacks.
Also read: Who is Khadija Shah? The woman behind Jinnah House attack ‘ready to surrender’
