LAHORE: The caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab, Mohsin Naqvi, has expressed his shock over the police raid at the residence of Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, during the operation to arrest Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Parvez Elahi.
The raid resulted in the injury of Hussain’s son, Chaudhry Saalik Hussain. The PTI has criticized the police’s actions and has voiced concerns regarding the arrests of its workers and leaders.
Saalik had shared a video of the police party trying to break into his house during the raid to arrest Elahi. Naqvi, responding to Saalik’s tweet, wrote on the microblogging site that “no illegal action will be allowed by anyone.” Naqvi was receiving all the details of the matter despite being in Madina at the time.
The raid was conducted after Elahi was reported to be at Shujaat’s house. Shujaat’s sister, who is also Elahi’s sister-in-law, had informed the police party of Elahi’s whereabouts. Naqvi’s statement came after the Centre distanced itself from the raid and blamed the Punjab caretaker set-up for the incident.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has held an important meeting with PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi and expressed regret over the raid on the PTI president’s house. Dar distanced the federal government from the incident, stating that the raid was conducted by the Punjab caretaker government. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal criticized the PTI leaders for “using women and children” as a shield to evade arrest.
Chaudhry Salik Hussain, PML-Q leader and the nephew of Elahi, has revealed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the police raid in a phone call with him.
(Islamabad51-Newsdesk)
