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KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and Maritime Affairs Minister Ali Zaidi denied reports that Sindh inspector general of police (IGP) was “kidnapped and forced to register” a case against PML-N’s Captain retired Mohammad Safdar.
In a statement on Twitter, Zaidi said: “M. Zubair selling nonsense narrative that CM Sindh told him IG was kidnapped & forced to register FIR. If this is true then CM Sindh must fire IG Sindh or resign himself as his orders were followed.”
Zaidi was referring to an audio message shared by a journalist in which Zubair can be heard saying that Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah told him the IGP was kidnapped and forced to register the FIR against Maryam Nawaz, her husband and 200 others for violating the sanctity of the Quaid-e-Azam’s mausoleum.
I demand that CM Sindh immediately & publicly reject Muhammad Zubair’s comments attributed to him regarding the kidnapping of IG
— Ali Haider Zaidi (@AliHZaidiPTI) October 19, 2020
In the audio clip circulating on Twitter, Zubair purportedly said that CM Sindh confirmed to him “they tried to put pressure on the Sindh Police first to arrest. When they refused to do that, Rangers kidnapped [the IG].
“This is what the chief minister told me. He [IGP] was picked up and taken to the sector commander’s office where the additional IG was brought in and they were forced to issue orders,” Zubair says in the clip.
Zubair said he had spoken to Chief Minister Sindh and provincial minister Saeed Ghani and would reveal the facts before the public soon. “The easiest way for Imran Khan is to arrest Safdar so the entire blame will fall on Sindh government and police,” Zubair said.
Zaidi said the Sindh government was trying to distance itself from the arrest and the FIR against Safdar. He responded to allegations of state terrorism by the PML-N and Zubair, and questioned “if arresting a criminal is state terrorism, then what was Model Town massacre by police under Shehbaz when direct firing was done on pregnant women, children and elderly? Was that a training exercise?”
The minister also alleged that certain elements in the media and opposition were trying to confuse the issue. “Instead of focusing on the crime that was committed, they are asking how Capt. Safdar was charged and arrested. Your nonsense won’t sell any more,” he said.
Sindh Govt trying to distance themselves from the FIR & arrest of Capt. Safdar.
M.Zubair selling nonsense narrative that CM Sindh told him IG was kidnapped & forced to register FIR.
If this is true then CM Sindh must fire IG Sindh or resign himself as his orders were followed— Ali Haider Zaidi (@AliHZaidiPTI) October 19, 2020
The minister also lashed out at the provincial government after Sindh Police first shared but later deleted a message which said that Safdar’s arrest was done in accordance with the law and that the investigation will be impartial.
Safdar was arrested early on Monday morning from a Karachi hotel where he and Maryam Nawaz were staying, she said in a message on Twitter. “Police broke my room door at the hotel I was staying at in Karachi and arrested Capt Safdar,” Maryam wrote.
