SIALKOT, JAN 9 (Newsdesk): Rehana Imtiaz Dar, the mother of former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Usman Dar, has secured approval for her nomination papers in the NA-71 Sialkot-2 constituency, enabling her participation in the forthcoming general elections on February 8.
Contesting for a seat in the National Assembly from Sialkot, she is set to face off against Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Muhammad Asif, a long-standing rival of her son.
Initially, the returning officer (RO) had rejected the politician’s mother’s nomination papers. However, following an appeal heard by the election tribunal, the RO’s decision was overturned, allowing her papers to be accepted. The rejection had stemmed from accusations against the RO regarding the alleged acquisition of 40-marla land through forgery.
Simultaneously, the nomination papers of Dar’s sister-in-law, Ruba Dar, wife of his brother Umer Dar, were also declined from the same constituency. It was mentioned that the rejections were primarily due to the alleged non-payment of Punjab Social Security dues by both women.
In December of the previous year, Dar had expressed his firm support for his mother’s intention to contest the general elections.
His statement came following an incident where Sialkot Police allegedly “attacked” his residence. The police conducted a late-night raid at his house near the Sialkot chamber without any search warrants, mistreating his family. Dar accused PML-N’s Khawaja Asif of orchestrating these actions to intimidate him and his family, linking it to previous attempts by the police to apprehend him regarding incidents from May 9.
Despite the challenges, his mother remained resolute, affirming her commitment to file the nomination papers for the February 8 polls, no matter the circumstances.
(Islamabad51_Newsdesk)