Govt wants to trap me with corruption allegations: Usman Dar

Brushing aside all corruption allegations levelled by his alleged “private assistant” — Javed Ali — Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Usman Dar on Sunday claimed that the federal government wanted to trap him with the tactics.

Addressing a press conference alongside Ali — after his confessional statement surfaced — Dar said that he had never been his private assistant (PA). The PTI leader said that he never embezzled taxpayers' money as the special assistant to the prime minister.

While seeking the top court's intervention, Dar pleaded with Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial to take a suo motu notice on his case. He also urged the Directorate General Anti-Corruption to hear his case in open court.

The PTI leader said the laundered proceeds are found in the accounts of people working under those who are accused of graft.

He questioned: "Were billions of rupees transferred to my cook and driver's accounts?"

Coming down hard on the coalition government of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), he said that the rulers are putting PTI leaders in jail and making sedition cases against them, adding that supporting PTI Chairman Imran Khan has become a crime for them. "The government wants to prove that Khan is a thief like them."

Dar also urged that his case should be heard in a Sialkot court.

He said that Ali was tortured for two days, adding that he was threatened that his wife and children will be called and given electric shocks. "Deputy commissioner and district police officer Sialkot should tell who inflicted torture on Javed [Ali]."

"Javed was never my PA. He was picked up to fix me," said the PTI leader, adding that he never took a kickback from any contract nor took any car, salary or perks while he was in office.

Denying 'confessional' statement

Speaking at the same press conference, Ali denied what he had said in the "confessional" statement, saying that the statement was false.

Ali said he was not Dar's personal assistant and he did not collect any money from any contractor.

"I had gone to the education department to collect my salary. 10 to 15 people abducted me after covering my face with a cloth."

Ali also alleged that he had been beaten up after being shifted to an unknown place. He said that he had been asked how much money did he give to Usman Dar. He said that he told them that he hadn't given any money.

"I was stripped of my clothes and tied to a seat and hung upside down. I was tied like a dog," he said, adding that a cop told the others to bring his [Ali's] wife and children.

Ali further said that he had been told that they would make an illicit video of his wife. He added that this broke his strength and he had to tell them that he would say whatever they want.

He claimed that they took a day for recording his statement in a washroom after giving him a bath and shave.

Javed Ali's 'alleged statement'

Both had held a joint press conference after the alleged confessional statement of Ali had come forward.

In the statement, Ali claimed that he was Dar's PA for three months. He revealed that he collected millions of rupees as commission from five contractors of four union councils of NA-67 and gave it to Usman Dar's brother Ahmed Dar.

Sharing the details of the tenders and commissions for them, Ali said that Bajwa and Co had a tender of Rs20 million, for which he collected Rs2 million commission and gave it to Ahmed Dar. Moreover, he collected Rs500,000 from Zain Bajwa Company for a tender of Rs5 million and Rs1 million commission from Khizer Construction Company and Bilal Contractors, each for the tenders of Rs10 million, respectively.

Ali revealed that Khawaja Imran looked after the union councils and took 10%, 15% or 20% commission for it.

He further said that Ahmed Dar offered him of arranging a government job.

"I am less educated so I got a fake educational certificate made and submitted it to the education department at the behest of Ahmed Dar," he also said.

Ali added that he was currently working at a government elementary model school in Daliyan and collected the commission for Ahmed Dar for this favour.