PTI leader Usman Dar, who had allegedly gone missing according to his party, resurfaced on Wednesday and opined that the May 9 attacks were aimed at “removing the army chief”.
“Of course, the incident was orchestrated to thwart the appointment [of the army chief]. I believe that Imran also had information from within the institution suggesting that the long march could potentially influence either the appointment or the removal of Gen Asim Munir,” he said.
He also announced quitting the PTI and politics, noting that he initiated his political journey with the Imran-led party and was now concluding it at the very same starting point.
Last month, the PTI had claimed that Dar was “abducted” in Karachi’s Malir Cantt by “unknown persons” and taken to an undisclosed location. The local police had denied arresting the PTI leader.
Dar’s mother had also released a video message claiming her son had been abducted and that the ‘abductors’ were denying the whereabouts of her son. She had demanded that her son should be produced before the courts so that he could defend allegations levelled against him.
Subsequently, the brother-in-law of the PTI leader, through his lawyer, had filed a petition before the Sindh High Court and contended that Dar was taken away by some persons in plain clothes and travelling in vehicles having no registration numbers on Sept 9.
A day earlier, the SHC had directed the police to register a case if a cognisable offence was made out about Dar’s alleged disappearance.
However, in a surprising turn of events today, Dar appeared in a private TV programme almost 20 days after reports of his abduction had surfaced.
At the outset of the interview, Dar was asked about the “masterminds” of the May 9 violence — when protests erupted across the country following the first 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 the PTI was ousted through a no-confidence vote last year, “two mindsets” emerged in the party.
“One mindset included Azam Swati, Hammad Azhar, Murad Saeed and Farrukh Habib. Although my friends, they were supporting the politics of confrontation,” he alleged.
“Then there was a mindset which had people like Asad Umar, Omar Ayub, Ali Muhammad Ali, Shafqat Mehmood and I, who were talking about reconciliation with the army.”
Dar clarified that while May 9 might appear to be a specific date, the circumstances leading to the riots had been brewing and could have erupted at any time.
During PTI meetings, discussions revolved around the potential targeting of state institutions, with Dar asserting that Imran endorsed this stance. He stated, “There were talks about the possibility of attacking state institutions in the event of Imran’s arrest, and we foresaw Imran’s detention, which ultimately occurred on May 9.”
When questioned about his willingness to testify against Imran in court, he responded, “I am prepared to appear in court and evaluate the situation.”
He observed that the lives of PTI workers underwent significant changes following the May 9 incident.
In response to a query regarding responsibility for the present state of affairs, Dar attributed the current situation to Imran Khan’s decisions, emphasising that the forthcoming elections would determine the direction of the party.
