Imran Khan’s pro-military government has yet to address the kidnapping of a senior police official.
Karachi:
The high-profile kidnapping of a police chief in Pakistan – allegedly by official paramilitary troops – signaled escalating political turmoil in a country bracing for further opposition protests to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Paramilitary troops, known as rangers, are accused of attacking the home of Mushtaq Ahmed Mahar, the inspector general of police in southern Sindh province. They kidnapped him and forced him to sign an order for the arrest of an opposition leader, Safdar Awan, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, a spokesman for Bilawal Bhutto Zardari – whose opposition party runs the state – said Tuesday on Dunya TV.
While Khan’s pro-military government has yet to address the issue, Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa has ordered an investigation. A spokesperson for the prime minister was not immediately available for comment.
The unprecedented incident, where nearly all of the province’s high-ranking police officers have sought permission to be “ridiculed”, opens a window into the turmoil in Pakistan, the worst since Pakistan came to power. Khan about two years ago.
Protests in Pakistan escalate and put Khan under pressure
An alliance of 11 major opposition parties is already holding a series of nationwide rallies to demand Khan’s ouster over food shortages and inflation and to demand that the military stop meddling in the Politics.
The military, which has ruled Pakistan directly for about half of its existence since 1947, has historically played a key role in foreign and national security policy. Lately, it has expanded its role during the term of the current government. The military and the judiciary cannot be publicly criticized under the Pakistani constitution.
Since the incident, Police Chief Mahar has ordered his officers to delay their leave until the completion of the separate investigation ordered by the military and state government, Sindh Police said. on Twitter Tuesday night.
The alleged kidnapping took place on Monday before police arrested Safdar Awan – the husband of Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the daughter and political heir to triple Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Awan, who was accused of raising political slogans during a visit to the tomb of the country’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in Karachi, has secured bail from the Sindh High Court.
This follows the arrest of journalists and opposition leaders, some of whom have been accused of treason by the Khan government for criticizing the military.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
