Police directed by Karachi court to submit report in sanctity of Quaid-e-Azam's Mazar case

• Magistrate asks SSP Investigations to submit a report by March 25.
• Case states Capt Safdar and accomplices "physically harmed" Quaid-e-Azam's mausoleum.
• A case had been filed against Capt Safdar and others for violating the sanctity of Quaid-e-Azam's mausoleum by chanting political slogans and intimidating people.

KARACHI:  The  Senior Superintendent of Police (Investigations) was directed by a judicial magistrate in Karachi on Saturday to complete the investigation of the case involving PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz and her husband Capt Safdar Awan allegedly violating the sanctity of Quaid-e-Azam's mausoleum last year.

The SSP has been asked by the judicial magistrate south to submit his investigation report to the court by March 25.

The case, filed by the Quaid-e-Azam Mazar Management Board, states that Capt Safdar and his accomplices "physically harmed" the mausoleum.

Karachi court quashes FIR against PML-N's Captain Safdar

In November  last year, a judicial magistrate had quashed a different FIR filed against Safdar Awan after categorising the case as "C class".

The police complaint had accused Awan, husband of PML-N vice-president Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law of former premier Nawaz Sharif, and a cohort of PML-N supporters to have violated the sanctity of Quaid-e-Azam's mausoleum by chanting political slogans and intimidating people.

On October 19, Sindh Police arrested Awan from his hotel room in the early morning, causing a political uproar.

He was granted post-arrest bail the same day.

On November 9, the investigating officer (IO) had submitted an amended charge sheet before the judicial magistrate. He and the special public prosecutor had then recommended the court to declare the case as “B class”.

However, the judicial magistrate rejected the police's recommendation to categorise the FIR as “B class” and quashed it as “C class”.

What is a C class FIR?

There are three classes of the FIR - A, B, and C.

When the FIR is true but the accused persons cannot be traced, the report is classified as A-class while B class means the complaint was found to be "maliciously false".

In the case of C class, the FIR is disposed of as being a non-cognizable offence - meaning the criminal case was filed due to a mistake of fact or the offence is of a civil nature.

The aftermath of Awan's arrest

Awan's arrest sparked outrage from opposition parties, with the Sindh government claiming Sindh IGP Mushtaq Mahar was "abducted" and forced to act against the PML-N leader.

This ensued a court of inquiry, ordered by Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

On November 10, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said some officials of the Inter-Services Intelligence and Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) were removed from their posts pending further departmental proceedings for acting "overzealously".