After remaining silent for several days, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, the president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), criticized and called “unacceptable” the police action against his home during the raid to arrest Parvez Elahi, the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
“The method used in this entire process is unacceptable. I vehemently condemn the use of an armed personal carrier to knock down the door,” Hussain told reporters. He demanded the dismissal of the policemen responsible for the raid. The leader of the PML-Q stated that given the numerous issues facing the nation, he did not want to say anything that would hurt national politics.
“When police went to Pervez Elahi’s residence they were informed that he was at Chaudhry Shujaat’s residence. The policemen left Elahi’s residence and rammed into my house,” the PMl-Q leader said. He added both his sons stopped the police from entering his house yet they tried to enter the house forcefully.
The PML-Q chief further stated that both his sons were injured in the raid and the police left after two hours.
Hussain said that when the police were questioned about the raid they stated that it was about embezzlement done in the development work done in Gujrat. He clarified that both his sons were not related to the case.
The PML-Q leader added that he would speak about the raid at another time and he has asked both his sons to be patient.
Last week’s, late-night raid to arrest Elahi has become a hot topic in political circles.
A day earlier, Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi said that he was “appalled” to know that the police stormed into the PML-Q president’s house to arrest the PTI leader.
A heavy contingent of Punjab Police had raided the residence of the former PML-Q leader to arrest him. The PTI strongly criticised the police’s actions, voicing concerns regarding the arrests of its workers and leaders.
Taking note of a tweet by Shujaat’s son, Chaudhry Saalik Hussain, the caretaker CM said that “no illegal action will be allowed by anyone”.
Saalik, sharing a video of the police party trying to break into his house during the raid to arrest Elahi, expressed dismay over what had happened.
“Appalled to know that team went to arrest Elahi but stormed Ch Shaujaat’s House in which Ch Salik Hussain got injured. The law should take it’s course,” Naqvi wrote on the microblogging site in response.
Earlier, Saalik had revealed that his paternal aunt (Shujaat’s sister), who is also Elahi’s sister-in-law (wife’s sister) had told the police party that the PTI leader was at the PML-Q leader’s house.
“The police did what they did but what our people did not do less,” the PML-Q leader had written in the Tweet that contained a video showing a police party trying to break into his house.
The matter has also become controversial as the federal government distanced itself from the raid, blaming the Punjab caretaker set-up for the incident.
