Maryam Nawaz's husband gets bail after being dragged out from hotel post anti-Imran rally

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz Sharif's husband Mohammad Safdar Awan has been released on bail by a judicial magistrate's court, hours after his arrest on Monday. As per reports, a court in Karachi granted the bail to Captain Safdar Awan against surety bonds of Rs 1,00,000. 

Maryam had earlier announced her husband's release in a press conference, where she was accompanied by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPL) leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and other political leaders.

"[Safdar] and I will be leaving Karachi together because just now Marriyum Aurangzeb has told me that he has been granted bail," Dawn quoted Maryam as saying.

READ | Imran Khan's Police Breaks Door & Drags Out Maryam Nawaz's Husband After Karachi Protest

On Monday, the Pakistan police had "arrested" Safdar Awan, from the hotel they were staying in Karachi, hours after he had lashed out at Prime Minister Imran Khan's government at the second show-of-strength of the 11-party opposition alliance - People's Democratic Movement (PDM) - which was attended by thousands of people.

Taking to Twitter, Maryam wrote, "Police broke my room door at the hotel I was staying at in Karachi and arrested Capt. Safdar."

READ | Thousands Rally In Karachi Calling For PM Imran Khan To Go

Reason for arrest not yet known

It was not clear whether the Safdar Awan's was arrest due to an FIR that was lodged a day earlier at Brigade police station by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government representatives against Maryam, Safdar Awan and their "200 goons" for violating the "sanctity of Quaid’s Mazar Under Quaid-e-Azam’s Mazar Protection and Maintenance ordinance 1971".

On the way to Bagh-e-Jinnah garden, Maryam made a stopover visit at Jinnah's mausoleum on Sunday. Retired Captain Safdar had chanted the PML-N slogan "vote ko izzat do (honour the vote)" and urged people to join him. This move was condemned by the PTI government representatives saying that 'the sanctity of Jinnah's Mazar has been disrespected'. According to Geo News, the government representatives approached the police asking them to initiate legal action against all those who participated in the act.

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Among the list of leaders who showed up at the anti-government rally were JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz, former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Ahsan Iqbal, Maulana Shah Owais Noorani, Allama Sajid Mir, Dr Abdul Malik, Iftikhar Hussain, Ameer Haider Khan Hoti, Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldini. This was the second power show of the 11-party opposition alliance PDM (Pakistan Democratic Movement). The first was held in Gujranwala in Lahore.

READ | PDM Leaders Gather In Karachi To Demonstrate Against Imran Khan, Attract Huge Crowd

(With inputs from agency)