Khawaja Asif serves defamation notice on Usman Dar, mother

SIALKOT: Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) stalwart Khawaja Asif has served a legal notice to former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Usman Dar and his mother, Rehana Dar, over defamatory accusations.

The notice called on Dar and his mother to pay Rs1 billion in damages within 14 days for levelling defamatory and false allegations.

Both politicians hail from Sialkot and they contested the 2018 elections from the National Assembly’s NA-73 constituency — and Asif defeated Dar.

After a raid on Dar’s house earlier in the month, Rehana accused Asif of orchestrating the police action and being manhandled by the raiding party.

In a video statement, Dar's mother said that her house was broken into by people who manhandled her, pulled her hair, and tore her shirt.

"When they heard that I was submitting my nomination papers, they [Asif] sent 20 people to my house,” she had claimed. She also appealed to the Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa to take action on the matter.

PML-N stalwart Asif, speaking on Geo News’ programme “Capital Talk” on December 20, said Dar seemingly wishes to restore his tumbling reputation after quitting politics.

Responding to the allegations, Asif had said that if nomination papers were snatched from any PTI candidate then they could simply get new ones. "The PTI is misrepresenting [facts]. They are running away from the elections."

He had categorically denied the allegations multiple times, saying that he had nothing to do with "such vengeful politics" and always respected his political rivals and their families.

Sialkot District Police Officer (DPO) Hasan Iqbal had also issued a video message to confirm the raid to arrest an “absconding suspect Umar Dar” — Usman’s brother.

He dispelled the claims of physical assault on the women during the raid.