KARACHI: Punjab’s caretaker chief minister, Mohsin Naqvi, has regretted that a police team that went to arrest PTI President Parvez Elahi in a Friday midnight raid also forced its way into the house of PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, an action also condemned by former Punjab governor and party’s chief organiser, Chaudhry Sarwar.

“No illegal action will be allowed by anyone,” Mr Naqvi said on Sunday, adding that he was in Madina and “getting all the details”.

“Appalled to know that team went to arrest Ch Pervaiz Elahi but stormed Ch Shujaat’s house in which Ch Salik Hussain [Mr Shujaat’s son] got injured. Law should take its course,” he said in the early morning tweet.

However, Mr Naqvi’s choice of words unleashed fierce criticism from senior PTI leader Shireen Mazari, who wondered why it was okay for police officials to “illegally and without a warrant” break into Mr Elahi’s home and the only condemnable part was that they tried to do the same to Shujaat Hussain.

Takes flak from Shireen Mazari for ‘selective criticism’

“Arresting someone in the darkness of night when they had protective bail and breaking down gates and the entrance door is criminal,” she tweeted and blamed the caretaker chief minister for allowing the raid.

On Saturday, former Punjab governor and PML-Q’s chief organiser, Chau­dhry Sarwar, also condem­ned the raiding team for storming Mr Shujaat’s house.

“Breaking into someone’s house in the middle of the night is not a democratic practice. Attacking the house of Chaudhry Shujaat and breaking

the windows was very shameful and worrisome,” Mr Sarwar tweeted.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2023