LAHORE: Strongly reacting to the ‘state highhandedness’, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader Usman Dar says his house, factory and businesses in Sialkot have been sealed and his family members, including women, have been left stranded.

“The state has snatched our right to live in our own country, declared proclaimed offender in fake cases and being treated as terrorists,” Dar stated in his tweet posted post-midnight on Saturday.

The PTI has also condemned the “state terrorism” unleashed against Usman Dar and his family members and urged the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take suo motu notice of the trampling of basic constitutional rights of Pakistani citizens.

“Usman Dar is being made subject to state terrorism for his unwavering association with the PTI and party chief Imran Khan,” the PTI added.

Meanwhile, Dar posted a video message of his mother on his twitter handle, wherein his mother appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to dispense justice to her with regard to the state highhandedness committed against her and family members.

“The CJP should hold court and call all those `savage’, who snatched veil from my head, tried to attack my honour and now pushed us out of our homes and left us stranded,” Dar’s mother said.

“Are we being punished that my sons were with Imran Khan and used to contest elections on the PTI tickets,” she asked and made an impassioned appeal to the CJP to dispense justice to her.

Tweeting that the house sealed by the state does not belong to him but his late father, Dar urged the CJP to hold court, before leaving the office, and dispense justice. Otherwise, he said, he would leave the whole matter in the court of Allah Almighty “for best justice”.

In his late night tweet, which he called “Emergency and SOS”, Dar said the state had sealed his house, factory, all kinds of properties including Jinnah House and all family businesses. He said women and children were forced to go out on the road. Similarly, he said, some 2,500 people were working in the factory.

“The state is committing highhandedness against him and his family members,” he said and added that he would pray for justice against those, who maltreated his mother.

He said he would be ready to appear before the courts, if they would take up the case and guarantee that he would be allowed fair trial.

“I respect the law and institutions, but who will implement the law? The recent judgments explain that he was being victimised.

Referring to several cases of ‘state highhandedness’ against PTI leaders and their family members, the PTI regretted that the state was acting beyond the ambit of the law and constitution.

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2023