- Dar claims that a meeting was planned for May 9 under the chairmanship of Imran.
- He says the former prime minister was “brainwashed” before his arrest.
- PTI wonders why the former party leader remained silent till now?
Usman Dar, a close aide of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, announced his departure from the former ruling party on Wednesday, May 9 – the day PTI workers vandalized state establishments following the former prime minister’s arrest. – was the primary reason behind his decision.
“The motive behind the events of May 9 was to overthrow the Army Chief [General Asim Munir]Dar said during an interview with a private television channel, days after PTI claimed he had been “kidnapped”.
Dar’s brother-in-law filed a petition in the Sindh High Court and a day earlier, the province’s top court directed the police to register a case of his disappearance.
But after resurfacing again today, the now former PTI leader blamed the party leadership for the events of May 9.
In what can be termed as the charge sheet against the PTI chief, Dar said that Imran himself chaired the meeting in which the “plan of action” was decided if he was arrested.
“PTI Chairman ordered his arrest in the matter [the party] To target sensitive establishments,” Dar said of Imran – who is currently lodged in Adiala jail. He was arrested on 9 May in a corruption case, and although the sentence was suspended, he was sent to jail again in the ‘Cipher’ case.
Dar, who worked as a special assistant during PTI’s tenure, said Imran “brainwashed” party workers to foil his arrest. “They used workers as human shields,” the former government official claimed.
Dar has become the latest politician to quit the party, joining the long list of leaders – including Fawad Chaudhry, Shireen Mazari and Pervez Khattak – who broke away from Imran after May 9.
Action was also initiated against those involved in the incidents, leading to the arrest of hundreds of party workers and leaders, including vice president Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
policy of confrontation
“I believe that the May 9 incident did not happen in a day,” Dar said, claiming that “two mentalities” had emerged in the party after PTI was ousted from power through a parliamentary no-confidence vote. .
One group – which included Azam Swati, Hammad Azhar, Murad Saeed and Farooq Habib – was in favor of confrontational politics.
The other group included Asad Omar, Omar Ayub, Ali Muhammad Khan, Shafqat Mahmood and the PTI leader himself, who believed that the party should reconcile with the military.
Dar said that PTI’s foundation was shaken after May 9, insisting that it was the PTI chairman who had supported the anti-state narrative.
The former special assistant to then Prime Minister Imran stressed, “The PTI chief is responsible for the current circumstances. In fact, May 9 was a shameful day, which cannot be condemned enough.”
‘Why did Dar remain silent till now?’
Responding to the latest development, PTI spokesperson Shoaib Shaheen asked why the former veteran party leader has maintained silence till now on the May 9 incidents.
He said Sindh’s interim home minister had already confirmed that Dar was “under arrest”.
Shaheen said, “Usman Dar endured a lot but there is a limit to tolerance.”
The party spokesperson said that if Dar wanted to give a voluntary statement then why did he remain silent for so many days.
He also said that the former ruling party also condemned the violence of May 9.
