J&K Updates

Nawaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. FILE PHOTOS

Ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif has “rejected” the inquiry report of the ‘Karachi incident’ while his ally PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has welcomed the findings of the probe carried out on the instructions of the army chief.

Nawaz, the PML-N supremo who has been in London for medical treatment since last year, said the inquiry report of the arrest of his son-in-law Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar Awan from his Karachi hotel last month was an attempt to “scapegoating juniors and shielding the real culprits”.

“Inquiry report on Karachi incident is a cover-up scapegoating juniors & shielding the real culprits. Report ‘Rejected’,” he said in a tweet from his official handle on Tuesday.

The Pakistan Army earlier today announced the removal of its officials involved in interfering into the affairs of the Sindh police.

"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. They were under increasing public pressure to ensure prompt action as per the law," military’s media wing, the ISPR, said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Bilawal who had demanded army chief General Qamar Javed Bjawa to probe alleged interference of paramilitary force into the affairs of Sindh police, has welcomed the report.

“This step will elevate the stature of the institutions,” he said while addressing a rally in Nagar area of Giligit-Baltistan. “This is just the beginning, this process must continue for the sake of democracy,” he added.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an alliance of nearly a dozen opposition parties, has termed the military’s inquiry report of the ‘Karachi incident’ a success of democratic forces.

Mian Iftikhar Hussain while welcoming the inquiry report said those who are responsible should be punished as per the law at the earliest.

He said opposition parties will also hold consultations on the findings of the report.

PDM leaders last week had expressed serious concerns over the delay in investigation of PML-N leader Captain (retd) Safdar’s alleged arrest under duress from his hotel room in Karachi last month.

“Despite the assurance of army chief that investigation would be completed in 10 days no headway has been made after passing of three weeks,” JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said while addressing a news conference in Islamabad.

(This story has not been edited by jkupdate staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)