Pakistan: Following army chief’s assurance, Sindh police defer leave for 10 days

Karachi, Oct 21: More than a dozen police officials who applied for leave, a day after PML-N leader retired Captain Mohammad Safdar was arrested have deferred their decision following an assurance by the Chief of Army Staff, General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

The Sindh police in a statement thanked the General for realising that the sense of hurt that prevailed within a uniformed force. They also thanked the army chief to ordering an inquiry into the matter. He also assured that the inquiry will be impartial in order to restore the prestige of the Sindh police, the statement read.

At least two additional inspector generals, seven deputy inspector generals, six senior superintendents and three station house officers of the Sindh police had submitted identical leave applications to Inspector General of Police Mushtaq Mahar. They had said that the recent episode of registration of FIR against Captain (R) Safdar the police high command have not only been ridicule and manhandled, but all ranks of the Sindh police have been demoralised and shocked.

General Bajwa on Tuesday ordered an inquiry into the events involving the arrest and release of deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif's son-in-law Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar from his hotel room in the city.

The Army chief directed the Karachi Corps Commander to "immediately inquire into the circumstances" to determine the facts and file a report as soon as possible, according to a statement issued by the military''s media wing.

"Taking notice of Karachi incident, the COAS has directed Karachi Corps Commander to immediately inquire into the circumstances to determine the facts and report back as soon as possible," a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

The statement came after PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari addressed a press conference, demanding that the Army chief and the ISI chief should probe the matter as the paramilitary Frontier Corps, controlled by the Army, was accused of forcing the police to arrest Safdar.

Safdar, a retired Pakistan Army officer, and his wife, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz, were in the city to attend a rally of the opposition''s Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) when he was arrested from their hotel for allegedly disrespecting the mausoleum of the country''s founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah. He was subsequently released on bail.

Police allegedly forcibly entered their room in the hotel after breaking the latch of the door.

The incident left the provincial government of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) red faced as the couple was their guest in Karachi where the PPP chief and Maryam had jointly addressed a political gathering against the government on Sunday night.