CSOs, labour groups show solidarity with Sindh police, demand judicial inquiry

Civil society, human rights and labour rights activists have expressed serious concern over the unfortunate developments against the police department in Sindh on Monday and called for a proper judicial inquiry into how undue pressure was put on the police to lodge a case against PML-N leader Capt (retd) Safdar and to arrest him.

In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, the rights activists, including Sindh Public Safety and Police Complaints Commission (SPSPCC) members Karamat Ali, Rubina Brohi and Nazim F Haji; Asad Iqbal Butt of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP); Anis Haroon of the Women Action Forum; Mahnaz Rahman of the Aurat Foundation; Farhat Perveen of NOW Communities; Habibuddin Junaidi from the Peoples Labour Bureau; Liaquat Sahi of the State Bank Democratic Workers Federation; Zulfiqar Shah of the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER); Zehran Khan of the Home-based Women Workers Federation; and Nasir Mansoor of the National Trade Union Federation, said the morale of the Sindh police officers had been negatively impacted due to unfortunate developments pertaining to the arrest of PML-N leader Capt (retd) Safdar from a hotel room in Karachi.

The civil society activists stated that there were reports that Sindh’s inspector general of police was allegedly kidnapped by unidentified armed people and was forced to sign orders to arrest Capt (retd) Safdar.

On Tuesday, the IGP, the AIG and other high police officials applied for earned leave showing their resentment over the incident.

They pointed out that Sindh’s civil society had fought legal battles for effective rule of law, and, as a result, a police law called The Sindh (Repeal of the Police Act, 1861 and Revival of Police Order, 2002) (Amendment) Act, 2019) was passed by the provincial assembly last year, under which an oversight mechanism had been put in place to receive complaints against matters relating to police and policing.

The Sindh Public Safety and Police Complaints Commission was an active body into which some members had been inducted from civil society, and it should be made active and effective to oversee police-related affairs in the province, they suggested.

Condemning the incident, they said an independent and strong police force should be ensured and external interference must be stopped.

The activists demanded an inquiry led by a high court judge into the incident to fix responsibility. They said action be taken against the responsible officers. They expressed solidarity with the Sindh police and assured them of their cooperation for effective rule of law in the province.