Court throws out PML-N leader Capt Safdar's bail plea

LAHORE: A Lahore court on Saturday dismissed a bail plea of retired captain Safdar, son-in-law of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, in a hate speech case, ARY News reported.

Duty Magistrate Salman Asif rejected the application after hearing arguments of both prosecution and defence side.

The PML-N leader’s lawyer contended before the court that his client has been implicated in a fake case in order to keep him from pursuing the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) cases his wife Maryam Nawaz faces.

He demanded that Safdar be released from prison on bail.

Earlier this week, a judicial magistrate had sent Safdar to prison on judicial remand for fourteen days in a case pertaining to hate speech.

Judicial Magistrate Rana Asif Ali rejected a request to discharge the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader in the case.

He also dismissed a plea by Punjab police to hand Safdar over to them for interrogation.

Captain Safdar was arrested by the police late on Monday night from the motorway on the charge of issuing remarks and inciting public against the state.

The police had registered a case against him on Oct 11.

His arrest came at a time when Nawaz Sharif was rushed to the Services Hospital amid strict security for a medical checkup after his personal physician took to Twitter, expressing concern over the former premier’s low count of platelets.