Ishaq Dar was trapped: Kh Asif

Says Ittefaq Industries workers shifted the buck to Ishaq Dar to avoid torture; he is eyewitness to episode

RAWALPINDI: Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Thursday said that Ishaq Dar was trapped by some workers of the Ittefaq Group of Industries to avoid torture and the workers forced him to give a confessional statement.

He expressed these views while talking to anchor Hamid Mir in his show ‘Capital Talk’ on Thursday.  The minister said that the pressure, which was exerted on Ishaq Dar, could not be tolerated by any person. He said that the weight of Ishaq Dar was reduced by more than 30 pounds during imprisonment due to tension and mental torture.

Khawaja Asif said that being an eye witness to Ishaq Dar’s confessional statement, he and Ishaq Dar were put in solitary confinement in Attock Fort. He said that four to five workers of Ittefaq Industries trapped Dar as they were tortured in the jail and whenever they were tortured, they started pointing their fingers at Ishaq Dar in order to avoid torture. Due to this, the whole burden was put on Ishaq Dar.

The minister said that extreme pressure was exerted on Ishaq Dar for the statement against Nawaz Sharif. He said the finance minister remained in prison for 23 months and at that time, he displayed courage and steadfastness. The minister said that armed soldiers guarded them whenever they carried out ablution for prayers.

Khawaja Asif said that they were confined to a 4x6 cell during detention and they could not see light for almost four days and they were brought out from cell handcuffed and blindfolded. He said that in such a situation, if any person was forced to write something could not be considered as true.