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

KARACHI: Inspector General of Police (IG) Sindh 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, ARY NEWS reported.

According to sources privy to the matter, the IG Sindh Mushtaq Mehar has gone on leave for 15 days besides a two-month leave application from Additional Inspector General (AIG) Police Special Branch Imran Yaqoob.

The sources said that the IG Sindh even did not attend his office on Tuesday.

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.

A leave application from AIG special branch said that they are grieved over the recent incident and could not perform their duties in the current situation.

According to sources, a high-level meeting was convened at the Central Police Office (CPO) in Karachi today 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.

Read More: Safdar’s arrest: Sindh govt announces constitution of ministerial committee

It has also emerged that the Deputy Inspector Generals of Police (DIGPs) of the three ranges of Karachi have also gone on leave and left their offices soon after submitting their leave applications.

Additional IG (AIG) Karachi Ghulam Nabi Memon, DIG Headquarters Saqib Ismail Memon, DIG Hyderabad Naeem Shaikh, DIG West Asim Qaimkhani, DIG CTD Umar Shahid, DIG South Javed Akbar Riaz, DIG Larkana Nasir Aftab, DIG Qamar Zaman, SSP Intelligence Tauqeer Naeem, DIG East, DIG West, and DIG Special Branch have also gone on leave.

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.