Safdar’s arrest ‘revenge in the name of accountability’: Saad Rafique

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique on Monday strongly condemned the arrest of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s son-in-law Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar, saying it was “revenge in the name of accountability and justice.”

Taking to Twitter after Captain (retd) Safdar was arrested from Islamabad airport by NAB officials, Rafique said Safdar was a “true, resolute and unswerving soldier of democracy” and “Sadiq and Ameen”, warning that those who made his arrest must consider their way of actions.

The minister said that “mafias and relatives of terrorists” neither get arrested nor appear before the courts.

“We fought for freedom and dignity of judiciary yet we are being targeted with injustice,” Rafique lamented.

He further said that PML-N would not resist the detention, adding that "we will emerge victorious by the grace of God".

NAB arrests Captain (retd) Safdar from Islamabad airport

Maryam Nawaz leaves the airport premises alone, Safdar whisked to NAB headquarters in Islamabad

Captain (retd) Safdar was arrested from outside Islamabad airport, shortly after he returned from London along with his wife Maryam Nawaz late Sunday.

A six-member NAB team waited outside Rawal lounge of the airport for his arrest, as the airport authorities stopped them from entering the lounge.

In reply to Rafique’s tweets, PPP leader Sharjeel Memon said that he had been arrested from runway by NAB with the help of PML-N government, adding that the same government today stopped NAB from entering the airport.

On October 2, Judge Mohammad Bashir of the accountability court, while hearing corruption references against the Sharif family, had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Safdar, Hussain Nawaz and Hasan Nawaz, and bailable warrants for Maryam.