Lahore: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader and former SAPM Usman Dar on Wednesday has announced to quit the former ruling party, citing May 9 protest when PTI workers destroyed state installations following the ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan's arrest, as main reason behind his decision.
He made this announcement in an interview with a private TV Channel on Wednesday.
Earlier, the brother-in-law of the PTI leader, through his lawyer, had filed a petition before the Sindh High Court and claimed that Dar was taken away by some persons in plain clothes and travelling in vehicles having no registration numbers on Sept 9.
Folowing, the Sindh High Court on Tuesday, ordered the police to register case of Usman Dar disappearance and and ordered to produce him on October 18.
However, in a surprising turn of events, Dar appeared for an interview a private TV Channel on Wednesday, almost 20 days after reports of his abduction had surfaced.
Usman Dar in his interview said PTI Chief propagated an anti-establishment mindset among his workers and also accused the former prime minister of running an anti-Pakistan narrative. He blamed the PTI chairman for the present condition of the party.
Dar said May 9 incidents were the result of the PTI Chief’s propaganda machine to bring institutions under pressure. He said PTI workers were brought at the residence of the party chief residence in Zaman Park Lahore as human shield to prevent the arrest of the PTI Chief.
"The motive behind May 9 events was to overthrow the army chief [General Asim Munir]," Dar said during an interview with a private television channel, as he came in front of the public days after PTI claimed he had been "abducted".
"The PTI chairman, in case of his arrest, ordered [the party] to target sensitive installations," Dar said.
He added Imran "brainwashed" party workers to prevent his arrest. "He used workers as a human shield," the former government official claimed.
He alleged that PTI’s long march in October last year was meant to stop the posting of General Asim Munir as the chief of army staff.
Dar is another latest politician to quit the party, joining a long list of leaders who parted ways with Imran following May 9, including Fawad Chaudhry, Shireen Mazari, Pervez Khattak, and many others.
On the other hand PTI spokesperson Shoaib Shaheen asked why the Usman Dar kept mum (on the matter of the May 9 incidents) untill now.