Maryam Nawaz challenges authorities to arrest her

She said arrest me in front of everyone if you have the courage

KARACHI (Dunya News) – Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz on Monday while hitting out at the federal government over the arrest of her husband Captain (r) Muhammad Safdar dared the authorities to arrest her if they have courage.

Addressing a press conference flanked by PDM leadership including Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Moulana Fazlur Rehman in Karachi on Monday, PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz said that those who have declared traitors from Madar-i-Millat Fatima Jinnah to former prime minister and party supremo Nawaz Sharif are the ones who have felt the pain.

“The only people who have a problem with slogans asking for democracy are those who stole the people’s mandate and they stole it from Fatima Jinnah too,” Maryam said.

She said that they think that by arresting Safdar, there will be a rift between PPP and PML-N but they have failed as we know what game was played.

“No one asked when Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers violated the sanctity of the tomb of the Father of the Nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah,” she said.

To a question, the PML-N vice president said that she did not think for a second that the Sindh government was behind the incident, adding that PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari telephoned her and strongly condemned the arrest of her husband Captain (retd) Safdar by Karachi police.

She said: “Bilawal reiterated that Sindh government was not informed about the arrest. I have directed Chief Minister of Sindh to conduct complete investigation of the arrest.”

“Sindh CM Syed Murad Ali Shah also telephoned and said that they were ashamed,” she added.

Maryam said that she and her husband slept after Fajr as they had come late from last night’s PDM rally. She said, “Police broke my room door at the hotel I was staying at in Karachi and arrested Capt. Safdar.”

Speaking on the occasion, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Moulana Fazlur Rehman said that the whole nation is ashamed of the way Captain (r) Safdar was arrested.

He said that the Rangers personnel barged into the hotel room where Maryam Nawaz was staying and detained him in her presence.

The JUI-F chief said that Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his father and party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari have expressed regret and embarrassment over the incident.

Fazlur Rehman went on to say that Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah was kept in the dark about whole matter, adding that the move is aimed at creating mistrust between the PPP and the PML-N. “So far, we ve only had two public rallies,” he added.

Earlier today, Sindh Police raided a private hotel in Karachi early morning and detained Captain Safdar for violating the sanctity of the Quaid’s mausoleum.

Provincial information minister Nasir Shah also said that government has taken strict notice of the arrest of the PML-N leader and ordered a high level inquiry of the incident.

Nasir Shah, while blaming federal government for the arrest, said that officials of any level of Sindh government were not informed about the arrest.

He further said that PTI leaders gave separate applications for registration of case against PML-N leaders; however both applications were declared illegal.

Saeed Ghani said that actions of Captain (retd) Safdar at Quaid-e-Azam’s mausoleum were inappropriate; however, the arrest of the PML-N leader was not ordered by government of Sindh.

He further said that this action of police is an attempt to create division in parties of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) but this conspiracy will be foiled.