Sialkot police deny arresting Rehana Dar

SIALKOT: Sialkot police have not arrested Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Rehana Dar instead she sat in the mobile van ‘herself’, District Police Officer (DOP) said on Thursday.

In a statement issued here, the DPO said that the police took action against an ‘illegal’ rally, adding that some women themselves tried to sit in the mobile van.

He said that Rehana Dar and Ruba Dar had been dropped to their residence by the police.

Earlier in the day, PTI claimed that Rehana Dar, the party leader and mother of former Special Assistant to Prime Minister Usman Dar, was arrested by Sialkot police.

Taking to ‘X’ (formerly known as Twitter), the PTI announced that Rehana Dar along with other party workers was arrested by Punjab police in Sialkot.

“A new low has been reached today. Rehana Dar and Ruba Dar have been arrested for peacefully protesting just now. Shameful act by the corrupt mafia,” the party posted on its official X account.

Umar Dar, the brother of Usman Dar, also confirmed the arrest of his mother, saying that many other PTI women workers have also been detained.

It is pertinent to mention here that the PTI had announced a country-wide protest against what it called ‘planned May 9 riots’.

Rehana Dar was set to lead a protest demonstration in Silakot. Umar Dar said that the Punjab police cordoned off their residence since the morning and detained his mother soon after she came outside to lead the rally.

It is noteworthy here that Rehana Dar had contested the general elections against incumbent Defence Minister Khawaja Asif.