Officers named in IG Sindh's 'grievances' probe removed: ISPR

RAWALPINDI: A probe into Sindh police chief Mushtaq Mahar’s “grievances” against the backdrop of the registration of a sloganeering case against PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz and her husband Captain (retd) Safdar has been completed, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Tuesday.

The military’s media wing said the inquiry was completed on the orders of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa. All officers found responsible have been removed from their posts in light of the court of inquiry, it added.

“Court of Inquiry on the orders of COAS pertaining to the issue of redress of Inspector General Police Sindh’s grievances, in the backdrop of 18 Oct 2020 Karachi incident, has been completed,” read a statement issued by the ISPR.

Also Read: COAS Bajwa orders inquiry into ‘Karachi incident’

“The Court of Inquiry has established that on night 18 / 19 Oct officers from Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) and ISI sector Headquarters Karachi were considerably seized with the fall out of desecration of Mazar-e-Quaid,” it said.

“They were under increasing public pressure to ensure prompt action as per the law. Assessing the response of police authorities against this developing yet volatile situation to be slow and wanting, in a charged environment, the concerned  ISI / Rangers officers decided to act, rather over zealously.”

Also Read: ‘Whatever happened to Capt Safdar is extremely shameful’: Bilawal

“They were indeed experienced enough to have acted more prudently and could have avoided creating an unwarranted situation that led to misunderstanding between the two state institutions.”

The ISPR said it has been decided to remove the officers concerned from their current assignments for further departmental proceedings and disposal at the GHQ.

Read: Safdar’s arrest: IG Sindh Mushtaq Mehar, top cops go on leave

On October 20, the Sindh police chief and other top police officials in the province had decided to go on leave in protest over mishandle and ridicule of the Sindh police officials in an episode involving the arrest of the PML-N leader Captain (retd) Safdar Awan.

Later, IG Sindh Mushtaq Mahar deferred his own leave and ordered his officers to set aside their leave applications for ten days in the larger national interest after the army chief ordered the inquiry into the incident.