Several high ranking officers of Sindh Police reportedly requested to proceed on leave as the controversy over the arrest of PML-N leader Captain (r) Safdar intensified on Tuesday. At least two additional inspectors general, seven deputy inspectors general and six senior superintendents of Sindh Police applied for leave in order to ‘come out of shock’ caused by the recent episode of registration of FIR against Capt (r) Safdar. Those who submitted leave applications include Special Branch AIG Imran Yaqoob, Forensic Science Division AIG Dr Samiulah Soomro Counter Terrorism Department DIG Omer Shahid Hamid, Headquarters DIG Saqib Ismail Memon, Hyderabad DIG Naeem Ahmed Shaikh, East Zone (Karachi) DIG Capt (r) Asim Khan, South Zone (Karachi) DIG Javed Akbar Riaz, Larkana DIG Nasir Aftab, Special Branch DIG Qamar-uz-Zaman and SSP Intelligence Tauqeer Muhammad Naeem, Sukkur SSP Irfan Ali Samo, Anti-Violent Crime Cell SSP Abdullah Ahmad, Badin SSP Shabir Ahmed Sethar, SSP Korangi Capt (r) Faisal Abdullah Chachar and East Zone (Karachi) SSP Sajid Amir Sudozai. An application signed by AIG Special Branch Imran Yaqoob, which has been making the rounds on social media, reads that he wishes to proceed on leave because the police high command has been ‘ridiculed and mishandled’, leading to demoralisation within the ranks of Sindh Police. According to the applications – all of which are identical – submitted to Sindh IGP Mushtaq Mahar, the officials said that it had become hard for them to ‘discharge duties in a professional manner’ due to the stress caused by Safdar’s arrest. “In such stressful situation it is quite difficult for me to discharge my duty in a professional manner,” the letters read. At least three station house officers (SHO) have also applied for a leave of absence, citing similar reasons. According the applications submitted to their respective SSPs, the SHOs said that “media reports […] ha(ve) demoralised all ranks”. Those who applied for a leave include Korangi SHO Inayatullah, Shahra-i-Noorjehan SHO Imdad Ali Khowaja and Tipu Sultan SHO Shahrafat Khan.