KARACHI : Inspector General of Police (IG) Sindh Mushtaq Mahar, Additional Inspector-General Imran Yaqoob Minhas and other top police officials in the province have decided to go on leave in protest over mishandle and ridicule of the Sindh police officials in an episode involving the arrest of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Captain (retd) Safdar Awan. “I am going on leave for 15 days,” the Sindh IG said on Tuesday. He, however, didn’t comment on the reason behind him going on leave. The sources said that the IG Sindh even did not attend his office on Tuesday. Similarly, AIG Special Branch Imran Yaqoob Minhas has also applied for a two-month leave. In his application, the police official wrote that the police high command has been “ridiculed” following the arrest of Captain (r) Safdar in Karachi. “In such a stressful situation, it is quite difficult for me to discharge my duty in a professional manner,” wrote AIG Minhas. “In order to come out of this shock and settle down I may kindly be granted 60 days earned leave w.e.f 25-10-2020,” he said.
The Additional IG further wrote in his application that there has been undue interference in the working of Sindh Police, officers and employees are disheartened and depressed with the incident. Sources have said that several other police officers, including DIG Larkana Nasir Aftab, are also going to go on leave. The sources claimed that other police officials have also decided to leave the charge of their posts citing the matter involving ridicule and mishandling of top police officials in a matter relating to the arrest of the PML-N leader. According to sources, a high-level meeting was convened at the Capital City Police Office (CCPO) in Karachi on Tuesday where top police officials watched the press conference of Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah over the matter and later decided to support the IGP Sindh over the matter.
It is pertinent to mention here that Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has announced the constitution of a ministerial committee to thoroughly investigate into the incident of arresting Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Captain (Retd) Safdar Awan in Karachi in connection with his involvement in violating the sanctity of the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammed Ali Jinnah. PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz’s husband was arrested in Karachi under charges of sloganeering at the Quaid’s mausoleum and criminal intimidation, and public mischief. The case was registered at the Brigade police station. He was, however, give bail by a court in Karachi on Monday. “The FIR registered against Captain (r) Muhammad Safdar Awan was based on a lie,” Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said during the press conference. The Sindh IG reportedly will not be appearing before the inquiry committee. It is being reported that IG Mahar was under immense pressure after the provincial government questioned him over the way Captain (r) Safdar was arrested in Karachi on Monday. NNI