‘Unacceptable’: Shujaat criticises Punjab Police for raid at his residence

Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Monday termed Punjab police's attempt to enter his Lahore residence to arrest PTI President Parvez Elahi “unacceptable,” Aaj News reported.

Last week, a heavy contingent of Punjab Police raided the residence of Parvez Elahi in a late-night attempt to arrest him, it was reported. Footage aired on television, and later social media showed the police barging into the house with law-enforcement personnel climbing over boundary walls to enter the premises.

The police could not find the former Punjab CM at the residence, but reports suggested that 12 individuals, apparently those working at the premises, were arrested.

During the raid, Punjab police also barged into Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain's house in which Ch Salik Hussain got injured.

Talking to journalists today, Shujaat said the "procedure followed in this entire affair is unacceptable."

The PML-Q president strongly condemned how an armoured vehicle was used to break down the main gate of his residence.

“Looking at the current circumstances of the country, I don’t want to say anything that could further deteriorate the situation at the national level. Pakistan is engulfed in many problems and some people want to exploit this issue to worsen matters,” he said.

Earlier, Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the incident saying that he was "appalled" to know that the police team went to arrest PTI president Parvez Elahi but stormed PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain's house.

"No Illegal action will be allowed by anyone," he tweeted, adding: "I am in Medina and getting all the details."

The chief minister said that the "law should take its course" after the unfortunate development.

Punjab Police on Saturday booked former chief minister Parvez Elahi on several charges including terrorism following a raid at his house late on Friday night in an attempt to arrest him.

In the case, it stated that law enforcement officials were “attacked with stones, batons and petrol” during the raid.

A first information report (FIR) was lodged at Lahore’s Ghalib Market Police Station invoking Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, and Section 324 (attempted murder) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) among others.

As per the FIR, Parvez Elahi's employees “locked the house from the inside, while a countless” number of people present inside threatened the team when it arrived at his home.

Parvez Elahi's workers also pelted law enforcement authorities with stones and doused petrol on them, causing a fire to break out, said the FIR.