Gen Qamar calls Bilawal to discuss arrest of Capt Safdar 'under duress'

PPP chairman hails army chief for taking 'prompt notice of Karachi incident'

KARACHI:

Pakistan People Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has appreciated army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa for taking prompt notice of Karachi incident related to the registration of a case against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar under alleged duress.

General Qamar telephoned Bilawal on Tuesday and discussed the Karachi incident, a statement issued by the PPP spokesperson said.

The statement comes minutes after the army chief directed Karachi Corps Commander to probe into the circumstances which led to the arrest of Safdar – the son-in-law of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif – by Sindh police from a hotel room in Karachi Monday morning for allegedly disrespecting the mausoleum of the Founder of the Nation. However, he was released hours after a local court in the metropolis approved his bail.

“The Chairman PPP expressed his appreciation to the COAS for taking prompt notice of the Karachi incident and his assurance of conducting a transparent inquiry on the incident,” the PPP Media Cell tweeted.

The Chairman PPP expressed his appreciation to the COAS for taking prompt notice of the Karachi incident and his assurance of conducting a transparent inquiry on the incident.

— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) October 20, 2020

The COAS took notice minutes after the PPP chairman had demanded General Qamar and ISI DG Lt Gen Faiz Hameed to investigate the matter as to how Sindh police chief was pressurised into registering a case against PML-N leader captain retired Safdar.

Addressing a press conference in Karachi, Bilawal had claimed that top officials of Sindh police had decided to go on leave after they felt humiliated for being pressurised by “other side” to register a case against the PML-N leader.

He also lamented that the manner in which Safdar was arrested was “so shameful and condemnable”, saying “he was unable to show his face for what happened with his guests in his province”.

لائیو؛ چیئرمین پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی بلاول بھٹو زرداری میڈیا سیل بلاول ہاؤس میں پریس کانفرنس کر رہے ہیں۔ https://t.co/m7sf3tOy0s

— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) October 20, 2020

 

Later, Bilawal visited IGP house in Karachi and shared a picture with Sindh police chief Mahar and other senior officers to express solidarity, saying: “I stand in solidarity with Sindh Police, do you?

I stand in solidarity with Sindh Police, do you? #WeStandWithSindhPolice pic.twitter.com/Gp1asUFK5B

— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) October 20, 2020

Sindh former governor Muhammad Zubair – who is also the spokesperson of Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz – appeared on some TV channels to claim that Sindh police chief Mushtaq Mahar was coerced into arresting Safdar.

Referring to his conversation with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Zubair had said: “Inspector General Police (IGP) Sindh Mushtaq Mahar was kidnapped by Rangers at 4 in the morning and brought to the sector commander office where he was forced to issue the orders for the arrest.”