CCTV footage shows PML-N's Safdar Awan was arrested by police

KARACHI: A CCTV footage related to the arrest of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Captain (retired) Safdar shows that the opposition politician was arrested by policemen in a 46-minute long operation.

The footage, obtained by ARY News, shows that two police vehicles entered the hotel, where PML-N leader and son-in-law of party’s supreme leader Nawaz Sharif Captain (retd) Safdar was staying, at 6:08 PM and took him into custody at around 6:48 PM.

Captain (retd) Safdar can be seen walking out of his room with police officers at 6:50 PM.

Safdar, who also happens to be PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s husband was taken into custody from his hotel room on October 19, a day after his political sloganeering at Quaid’s mausoleum led to the registration of a case against him in Karachi.

Police broke my room door at the hotel I was staying at in Karachi and arrested Capt. Safdar.

— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) October 19, 2020

The whole episode turned controversial when his wife said that he was arrested by breaking the door of his room and Sindh government announced an inquiry into his arrest while “he was their guest” as he attended a PDM rally on October 18.

Rumours spread by certain elements on social media said that Safdar was arrested by Rangers not the police.

On October 20, as a number of top Sindh Police officers went on leave in protest against “mishandling” in this case, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa telephoned the provinces’ ruling party, the Pakistan People’s Party, chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and assured him of a transparent inquiry into this case.