-Top Cops file leave applications in back drop of developments regarding Safdar’s arrest episode
-Confused CM Sindh adds fuss to the confusion
-Bilawal asks Army Chief to probe matter
-Army Chief’s action averts mega crisis as IGP, others put ‘leaves-strategy’ on hold
From Zeeshan Mirza
KARACHI: In a rather hysterical and dramatic development, as many as one Inspector General of Police, 3 Addition IGs, 25 DIGs and nearly 30 SSPs with many lower subordinates to the junior most ranks of Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) of Sindh police registered a silent protest by applying for long leaves, creating a chaos in provincial police infrastructure here on Tuesday after a rather confused Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah failed to take any clear stance over the ugly episode of pressurizing Sindh police’s Inspector General for the arrest of PML (N) member Capt (rtd) Safdar Awan.
It was alleged that the IGP was abducted and taken to the office of another law enforcing agency where he was forced to order the immediate arrest of Safdar, an accused in the case of desecration of the tomb of the father of the nation.
Although, in developments taking late in night, IGP Sindh and his subordinates opted to postpones the leave strategy till the outcomes of inquiry of the matter, ordered by Chief of Army Staff with Sindh Police appreciating and applauding Army Chief’s action.
Sindh CM was expected to clear the ambiguity and come up with a solid stance over the issue when he held a Press Conference on Tuesday afternoon but instead he left with adding more fuss to the confusion which resulted into hysteria gripping Sindh Police top brass and they started filing long leave applications from all over the provincial police units.
It was only after PPP Chairperson Bilawal Zardari held an emergency press conference, later in the evening, who blasted the ugly incident and confirmed that IGP Sindh was abducted and pressurised by the officials of another law enforcing agency and appealed to the Chief of the Army Staff to take notice of the situation.
According to a letter submitted by the additional inspector general’s (AIG) office, Mahar had asked for leave over the registration of first information report (FIR) in Safdar’s arrest. In the letter, he said that he needed 60 days leave to “come out of this shock and settle down”.
However, while addressing a press conference on the incident, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah Tuesday said the police, while conducting the raid, only “did their work”. He announced the formation of a ministerial committee to investigate the arrest, adding that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers in Sindh had “pressurised” the police into registering the complaint, which he claimed was based on a “lie”.
“Certain facts have emerged and those will be investigated […] what occurred from 4:30 pm on October 18 till the morning of October 19 will be probed,” he said, adding that he will also appear before the committee if required. Shah clarified, however, that he was not trying to justify Awan’s behaviour at Jinnah’s mausoleum and that the “inappropriate” incident that took place there merited action, which would have been taken according to the law. But, he went on to add, the PTI lawmakers used the incident to file a case under Section 506-B (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), which the police accepted.
“First, a PTI MPA files a request at the police station. Officials explained to him that you can’t do this and also explained the process to him. Then another MPA comes and files another request. He is again told the procedure,” He said. “Then another person from the Quaid-i-Azam mausoleum’s board comes to the police station and files a request,” he said. “He was told that yes it is a violation but a magistrate will take cognisance not the police.
“They tried to pressurise the police but officials did not succumb to their pressure. The bigger the PDM rally got and the more their incompetence was revealed, they became more and more anxious and filed request upon request,” the CM claimed. “Scaring and threatening the police and pressurising the force is not the job of elected representatives,” Shah said, adding that the Sindh police would never do something illegal. It was only in the morning that we got to know what had happened, Shah claimed, referring to Awan’s arrest from the hotel.
“They [PTI lawmakers] wanted to do something illegal, their anxiety was obvious. So what they did is that they had a person file an FIR [and] I say this because PTI MPAs were present with the person at the police station,” Shah said. They filed a false case, Shah said, showing a picture of the meeting between the complainant and a PTI leader. “Do they have any shame? What extent are they willing to go to achieve their goals?”
“Now let me tell you the conspiracy. Waqas gave his details to the police. When his location was traced, it was discovered that at the time of the incident stated in the complaint, he was near Baqai Medical University located on Super Highway,” Shah said.
