Usman Dar’s mother to contest polls from NA-71

Her papers were earlier rejected by RO on the grounds of acquiring 40-marla land through forgery.

LAHORE: Rehana Imtiaz Dar, the mother of former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Usman Dar, will face Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Muhammad Asif, her son’s longtime rival, in the NA-71 Sialkot-2 after the election tribunal approved her nomination papers on Tuesday.

Following the approval of her nomination papers, Rehana will now run for a seat in the National Assembly during the upcoming general elections on February 8.

Her papers were previously rejected by the returning officer (RO) on the grounds that she obtained 40-marla land through forgery. However, the election tribunal heard her appeal and overturned the RO’s decision, clearing her papers.

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Meanwhile, the nomination papers of Dar’s sister-in-law, Ruba Dar, wife of his brother Umer Dar, were also rejected in the same constituency. It was also stated that both women’s applications were rejected primarily due to alleged nonpayment of Punjab Social Security dues.

Dar stated in December of last year that if his mother ran in the general election, he would strongly support her.

The politician’s statement came after his home was allegedly “attacked” by Sialkot Police. On December 18, police raided his house near the Sialkot Chamber without a search warrant and mistreated his family late at night.

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He claimed that the police raided his house recently to arrest him in connection with the May 9 incidents, but when he was not found, they misbehaved with his family.

Dar accused PML-N leader Khawaja Asif of orchestrating the terror campaign against him and his family.

His mother, too, stated that she would file nomination papers for the February 8 election regardless of the outcome.

“When they heard I was submitting my nomination papers, they [Khawaja Asif] sent 20 people to my house and beat me. “No one can force me to do what they want,” she said, adding that she would even contest the polls if she was imprisoned.