Avenfield reference: Capt Safdar says being targeted to pressurise Nawaz

Had to face mal-intended case in Raiwind, even an FIR was registered with my name, says Safdar

ISLAMABAD: Captain (retd) Safdar, who was questioned today in Avenfield reference, has claimed that the only reason he is being pulled into the trial is because he is the son-in-law of deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Judge Bashir presided over the hearing on Wednesday at an accountability court in Islamabad, . Safdar concluded his statement in two days, making it the shortest statement to be recorded in the case.

Safdar begun his statement by introducing himself as a man who began his career in the Pakistan Army. He then went on to praise Nawaz Sharif as the guardian of democracy and as a man who protected the vote.



Safdar further said that then Punjab chief minister Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo and governor Chaudhry Altaf Hussain staged a fake case against him.

Safdar said he had to face the mal-intended case in Raiwind and was nominated in a first information report (FIR).

This and other incidents were staged to pressurise Nawaz. "The government of the time degraded me to an OSD (officer on social duty) to pressurise Nawaz further," he maintained.

Highlighting his party's achievements, Safdar said, "The PML-N formed a government with two-thirds of the majority. During their tenure, PML-N empowered Pakistan with nuclear power on May 28, 1998."