Police declare FIR against Capt Safdar over mausoleum incident ‘fake’

KARACHI: Police have declared the first information report (FIR) lodged against PML-N leader retired Capt Mohammad Safdar for ‘violating the sanctity’ of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s mausoleum in Karachi as fake in the charge sheet submitted to the court on Monday (today).

According to the investigation report submitted to the court by police, that neither the complainant, Waqas Khan, nephew of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Haleem Adil Sheikh, joined the investigation nor was the veracity of his claims established during the probe, which showed that he was not present at the mausoleum when the alleged offence took place.

Interestingly, Earlier, the prosecution had pointed out divergences in the previous charge sheet, pointing that the investigation officer ignored to record statements of the independent witnesses available on the scene where the alleged offence took place.

It said that the IO failed to get a required endorsement from his senior officers before submitting the charge sheet and he neither attached the complaint moved by the administrative officer of the mausoleum neither board nor recorded his statement.

However, the prosecution later approved a new, amended charge sheet. It wrote that the offences would be tried under the Quaid-i-Azam’s Mazar (Protection and Maintenance) Ordinance, 1971 if the same complaint is routed through the concerned SHO on the application of the mausoleum’s administrator.

On October 19, Capt (R) Safdar, who is the husband of PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz, was arrested by Karachi police from a hotel where the couple was staying during their visit to Karachi for the opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement’s public gathering held in the metropolis a day earlier.

Later, he was granted bail by a court against a surety of Rs100,000, with the Sindh government alleging that the federal government had forced the provincial police to carry out the capture in a bid to create a rift in the PDM.

Several PTI representatives, including Haleem Adil Shaikh and Raja Azhar had approached the Brigade police station to lodge a case against the PML-N leadership including Capt Safdar, Maryam Nawaz and party spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb.

They stated that PML-N leadership violated the sanctity of the mausoleum by crossing the metal barrier placed around the grave and chanted slogans that not only disrespected the site but also hurt the sentiments of the people.

The request asked that legal proceedings be undertaken against about 200 people present there who took part in the act.

The PML-N leader was taken into custody after he was booked in a case pertaining to the violation of the sanctity of the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam. Safdar had crossed the metal barrier towards the grave of the founding father and chanted political slogans and urged supporters to join him.

Safdar chanted the slogan “vote ko izzat do (honour the vote)” and urged people to join him. Many party activists responded to his call and chanted along for an extended period of time as Maryam Nawaz looked on.

The police lodged a case against Safdar and 200 other unidentified associates of the party for violating the provisions of “Quaid-e-Azam’s Mazar (Protection and Maintenance) Ordinance-1971”.

The Quaid’s mausoleum, which is declared “a historical monument of national importance” is maintained and protected under a special law.

The ordinance, “The Quaid-i-Azam’s Mazar (Protection and Maintenance) Ordinance, 1971”, prohibits all kinds of demonstrations and political activities within the premises.

It states: “No person shall organize, convene or take part in any meeting or demonstration or procession or engage in political: activity of any kind within the Quaid-i-Azam’s Mazar or within a distance of ten feet from the outer boundary thereof.”