Watch: CCTV footage of Captain Safdar's arrest

Officials from the Sindh Police carried out a 46-minute operation to arrest PML-N leader retired Captain Safdar Awan over the slogans he raised at the Mazar-e-Quaid, CCTV footage obtained by Geo News shows.

The footage shows that at 6:08am, two police mobiles entered the private hotel where the PML-N leader was staying.

At 6:45am the police team landed on the 15th floor, where Maryam Nawaz and Captain Safdar’s room was located. The video also shows that a man in plain clothes and joggers was taking instructions from someone on his phone.

Also read: Captain Safdar released on bail hours after arrest from Karachi hotel

As per the footage, at 6:48am two policemen barged into the room where the PML-N leaders were staying. Two minutes later, at 6:50am, Capt Safdar was arrested.

The footage also shows that a man in plain clothes was making a video of the arrest in the lift and lobby of the hotel. 

Captain Safdar's arrest

Retired Captain Safdar Awan — Nawaz Sharif's son-in-law and Maryam Nawaz's spouse — was arrested in the early hours of Monday by Sindh Police for, among other charges, allegedly violating the sanctity of Quaid-e-Azam's Mazar (also called Mazar-e-Quaid).

The sanctity of the Quaid's Mazar is protected by The Quaid-i-Azam’s Mazar (Protection and Maintenance) Ordinance, 1971, which explicitly forbids political activities within the premises of the mausoleum.

IG Sindh Mushtaq Mahar defers leave

A day after the arrest, several senior officers, including IG Sindh Mushtaq Mahar, decided to go on leave citing demoralisation of the police force.

However, IG Sindh Mushtaq Mahar deferred his own leave and ordered Sindh police officers to set aside their applications for 10 days, "pending the conclusion of the inquiry" regarding Captain Safdar's arrest.