Capt Safdar arrested by Punjab police

E-Paper | May 10, 2026

LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz said on Monday that retired captain Mohammad Safdar, son-in-law of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, was arrested by Punjab police late on Monday night.

According to PML-N spokesman Marriyum Aurangzeb, Mohammad Safdar was arrested on a charge of “hate speech”.

He was arrested on the motorway while he was returning to Lahore from Bhera.

Police had registered a case against him on Oct 11 for speaking against state institutions.

Ms Aurangzeb, condemning the arrest, said the “fascist government” of Prime Minister Imran Khan had stooped too low to suppress the voice of the opposition. “First Imran Khan should be arrested for making a series of hate speeches,” the PML-N leader added.

She said the government was losing its nerves with the approach of “Azadi march”.'

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2019

Our readers are at the heart of everything we do.
Do you have a thought to share or a way we can improve? We’d love to hear it. Reach out to us at feedback@dawn.com.

Newspaper

Profile: Capt Safdar, from military man to first 'son-in-law'

Capt Safdar finally arrested by NAB authorities after Pindi power show

Nawaz Sharif distances himself from Safdar’s anti-Ahmadi remarks

Tamza

Oct 22, 2019 08:22am

Should be tried under Army Act! He cant be a ‘captain’ and mean-spirited,

Recommend 0

india

Oct 22, 2019 08:28am

good move;

Recommend 0

AHMED 40

Oct 22, 2019 08:37am

Such actions are Signs that this government is on its last breaths ..

Recommend 0

Queen

Oct 22, 2019 08:43am

Very apt move.

Recommend 0

Kamal

Oct 22, 2019 09:08am

What about IK’s hate speeches that he delivered from 2012 to 2018?

Recommend 0

No Ash

Oct 22, 2019 09:10am

@AHMED 40, Have you ever listened to Safdar? If no, please take time and find out.

Recommend 0

Sunnyboy

Oct 22, 2019 09:14am

Will press publish what was speech all about?

Recommend 0

Jakc

Oct 22, 2019 09:17am

This Government Will Last For Another 20 Years!!!’ Get used to it Haters!!!

Recommend 0

Sher Jang Gilgit-Baltistan

Oct 22, 2019 09:19am

The speeches of Marriam Aurangzab too falls under the ambit of Hate Speech and she is roaming freely. The government of IK is exhibiting discrimination that is why the people of Pakistan are declaring it a fascist.

Recommend 0

Asim

Oct 22, 2019 09:19am

@AHMED 40, and I am sure you are excited for the capable individusls inline to replace this government.

Recommend 0

Zulkarnain Ahmad

Oct 22, 2019 09:26am

No one should be above the law. He has been involved in not one but several hate speeches. This step should send clear message to all those who ruled and plundered Pakistan on the basis of nepotism, injustice and corruption. An excellent step by the government.

Recommend 0

Guzni

Oct 22, 2019 09:28am

This should also apply to Maulana Fazal ur Rehman

Recommend 0

Oct 22, 2019 09:28am

As you sow, so shall you reap

Recommend 0

HAJI

Oct 22, 2019 09:31am

Just arresting everyone is not going to help. Either convict them, or release them. This is going to backfire Imran. When time come, if Imran is sent to Sibi, Mach, or Sakhar state guest house, he has no idea how these jails look like.

Recommend 0

Chinpaksaddique

Oct 22, 2019 09:37am

Super move by pmik

Recommend 0

Hamza Ahmed

Oct 22, 2019 09:42am

Law and order getting restored, slowly, but surely! Pakistan Zindabad!

Recommend 0

Shahid

Oct 22, 2019 09:44am

This applies to all opposition parties but not to imran khan and to those who burned 258 lives in baldia factory .

Recommend 0

Oct 22, 2019 09:53am

Keep this corrupt son in law of highly corrupt father in law in jail!

Recommend 0

Vivek Lahore

Oct 22, 2019 09:54am

If IK had spines he will face the reality boldly

Recommend 0

syed baqar ahsan

Oct 22, 2019 09:54am

He was a disgrace to uniform once as ADC to sharif.

Recommend 0

khan

Oct 22, 2019 09:56am

@AHMED 40, such actions means that this government is here to last longer than expected. All the corrupts should go behind bars without any mistakes now. They have looted Pakistan's wealth and misused the authority to put Pakistan on a back foot for decades. That was their mistake and they should be arrested for that. We could have landed on the moon and could have gone beyond the moon to achieve unthinkable with the talent we have in Pakistan. Because of these corrupt politician we could not reach where we suppose to reach.

Recommend 0

Asad

Oct 22, 2019 09:56am

Political victimization

Recommend 0

Autny Timi

Oct 22, 2019 10:32am

Interesting situation. Seems Cold Start is at its full swing. Grounds are being softened.

Recommend 0

HashBrown®

Oct 22, 2019 10:36am

This man had been spewing hateful venom against minority communities in Pakistan for years; it was only when he targeted the state that he was arrested. Too little, too late. What message does that send to our non-Muslims?

Recommend 0

Manzer

Oct 22, 2019 10:36am

At least the government found something other than NAB.

Recommend 0

amir

Oct 22, 2019 10:41am

According to the FIR, he was inciting people against government. If a speech against government (not state, mind you!) could be characterized as hate speech, then Imran Khan should be booked several times for exact same crime circa 2014.

Recommend 0

Syed Zafar Kazmi U.S.A

Oct 22, 2019 10:55am

Criticism or even condemnation of any government institutions should be part of right to free speech and any laws agains this fundamental tenet of human freedom is restrictive to democracy & furtherance of plurality of ideas.

Recommend 0

amir

Oct 22, 2019 10:55am

he once spoke against a monority group in the parliament. No arrest was made for this hate speech The British parliament than had quoted him saying these hate words Than if one recall, when Maryam Nawaz and Capt S were departing for London, from the airport he returned with out boarding, and MN departed. Has the British government barred him for that. Something to investigate

Recommend 0

Supporter- PTI

Oct 22, 2019 10:55am

Put all PMLN leaders and their supporters behind bars. They are corrupt and not sincere to our country.

Recommend 0

Aleem

Oct 22, 2019 11:02am

Why army is not taking disciplinary action against him ?

Recommend 0

Aleem

Oct 22, 2019 11:03am

@Tamza, 100% right.

Recommend 0

Patriot

Oct 22, 2019 11:13am

If Safdar was arrested for saying that Nawaz has been poisoned than he deserves it. Rumours such as this can lead to chaos in the country which Pakistan can ill afford.

Recommend 0

Bilal

Oct 22, 2019 11:30am

This lady Aurangzeb is a limit!!!

Recommend 0

Anti-Corruption_Pakistani

Oct 22, 2019 11:38am

Nobody should be allowed to incite people against army and state, such people are traitors and spreading hate. Take stingent actions against them and send them to jail and ket them rotten there! (Note: I regularly advocate my impartial views against injustice, inequality, oppression and nepotism without supporting any of the political parties. For me my country comes first - be aware of such fake ID's and their silly posts!).

Recommend 0

Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad

Oct 22, 2019 11:50am

Nip the evil kingpins of corruption, nepotism, fraud, money-laundering, forgery, smuggling and cronyism in the bud no matter who they are, what they do and where do they stem from?

Recommend 0

Ahsan Gul

Oct 22, 2019 11:54am

Keep him in an ordinary jail like a ordinary criminal. Stop giving special treatment to the looters and their aid. Thanks

Recommend 0

Shib

Oct 22, 2019 11:54am

@Guzni, sure ..a.sane person would for sure expect at least this...no one should be allowed to challenge the State Institutions...

Recommend 0

Ghani K

Oct 22, 2019 12:19pm

It completes the circle - father in law, wife , son in law , all in the family. put them in the same cell block.

Recommend 0

Qazi

Oct 22, 2019 01:07pm

Excellent stuff. All these criminals should be behind bars as nobody is above law. This man in inciting religious feelings for political gains which should not be allowed under any circumstances

Recommend 0

SamQ

Oct 22, 2019 01:24pm

@AHMED 40, such are signs that they are scrubbing the mess from last 30 years of Bhutto Nawaz

Recommend 0

Adrashas

Oct 22, 2019 01:53pm

@JM, I, fully agree with you.Also Ahson and Mairum be put behind bars

Recommend 0

Saba

Oct 22, 2019 02:26pm

Well done

Recommend 0

AFRIDI

Oct 22, 2019 09:31pm

Use of State Power for Personal gains at the highest level, stop destroying the institutions and their credibility.

Recommend 0

Ash20

Oct 22, 2019 11:33pm

Guess in Imran’s nays Pakistan, everybody and press has to say what he wants.

Recommend 0

amir

Oct 23, 2019 06:03am

@Supporter- PTI, putting them behind bars is not working out IK shout do the reverse strategy and put the bars behind them history tells us very sure it will work

Recommend 0

Branded Content

Master Group of Industries: Driving Pakistan's future through carbon negative innovation

By embracing clean energy solutions, the group continues to contribute toward lowering dependence on conventional energy sources and encouraging a more sustainable industrial ecosystem.

Climate uncertainty reshapes life in Pakistan as tree planting efforts shift towards survival

“The real work begins after the applause fades, in the quiet, daily acts of care that no camera records.”

Indus Cloud Limited, Indus DC REIT and UBL form strategic partnership to accelerate Pakistan’s digital infrastructure and cloud adoption

This collaboration marks a significant step toward strengthening the country’s digital backbone and locally hosted cloud services for enterprises and public sector organisations.