PTI leader Usman Dar, previously reported missing by his party, reappeared on Wednesday, asserting that the May 9 attacks were orchestrated to hinder the appointment of the army chief.
He suggested that Imran Khan had inside information indicating that the long march could influence the appointment or removal of Gen Asim Munir. Dar also made a significant announcement, stating his resignation from the PTI and politics, symbolically ending his political journey where it had begun with Imran Khan’s party.
Last month, PTI claimed Dar was reportedly “abducted” in Karachi’s Malir Cantt by “unknown persons” and taken to an undisclosed location. Local police denied his arrest. Dar’s mother released a video message alleging his abduction, demanding his appearance in court to defend against allegations.
Subsequently, Dar’s brother-in-law, through his lawyer, filed a petition before the Sindh High Court, contending that Dar was taken away by individuals in plain clothes and unregistered vehicles on Sept 9. The SHC directed the police to register a case if a cognizable offense was involved in Dar’s alleged disappearance.
In a surprising development, Dar appeared on a program of a private TV channel almost 20 days after reports of his abduction surfaced. During the interview, Dar was asked about the “masterminds” behind the May 9 violence, following the arrest of PTI Chairman Imran Khan.
“I have always praised the army, our martyrs, and I always appreciated them. On May 6, I had left to visit my family. I believe that the May 9 incident did not occur in a day,” Dar responded.
He claimed that after PTI’s ousting through a no-confidence vote last year, the party had two distinct mindsets. One faction, including Azam Swati, Hammad Azhar, Murad Saeed, and Farrukh Habib, supported confrontational politics, while the other, featuring Asad Umar, Omar Ayub, Ali Muhammad Khan, Shafqat Mehmood, and himself, advocated reconciliation with the army.
