Maryam praises Sindh Police

ISLAMABAD: Following PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto's press conference on Captain (R) Safdar's arrest, PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz, thanked him and said the "conspiracy and conspirators" stood exposed.

Maryam's comments came after several back-to-back related developments including multiple high-ranking officers of Sindh Police reportedly requesting to go on leave, Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah announcing a ministerial committee to be formed to probe the arrest, and Bilawal saying that he was "embarrassed" over the incident and urging Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and DG ISI Lt Gen Faiz Hameed to conduct an inquiry into the matter.

"It’s heartening to see civilians breaking shackles of fear, standing up for supremacy of the Constitution and reclaiming their long lost rights,” Maryam said, adding that the “conspiracy and conspirators stood badly exposed”.

Thanking Bilawal for his support, she said: “Pakistan has changed.”

Maryam saluted the Sindh Police and quoting Quaid-e-Azam twittered, “If you want to raise the prestige and greatness of Pakistan, you must not fall victim to any pressure, but do your duty as servants to the people and the State, fearlessly and honestly.”

She said there would be no space in jails if FIRs were registered for raising the slogan of ‘give respect to the vote’.

Following the back-to-back developments in the matter, Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa ordered an inquiry into the “Karachi incident”, a statement by the military’s media wing said.

According to Inter Services Public Relations: “[Gen Bajwa] has directed Commander Karachi Corps to immediately inquire into the circumstances to determine the facts and report back as soon as possible.”

Controversy had been brewing over the circumstances surrounding Captain Safdar’s arrest, with PML-N representatives claiming that the police had been put under pressure to pick him up. Representatives of the Sindh government had publicly distanced themselves from the arrest and condemned it, saying while Captain Safdar raising slogans at the Quaid-e-Azam’s Mazar was not condonable, the arrest had been made without its knowledge.