Audio clip contradicts PTI worker’s claims

Ali’s lawyer says his client told him police did not torture him

LAHORE:

A day after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan indicated in a televised address that a conspiracy was being hatched against the party's Sialkot leader Usman Dar, a purported audio clip between the latter’s alleged frontman Javed Ali's lawyer Tahir Sultan and his friend Arif Bhatti surfaced on Sunday.

In the alleged clip, Sultan can be heard discussing Saturday’s televised address of the former prime minister, who was flanked by Usman Dar and his frontman Ali. In the address, Imran had alleged that Ali was abducted and tortured by the police and unidentified officials to give false statements against Dar.

Sultan can be heard making fun of Ali’s media talk in the audio clip, saying: “Ali told me that he was not tortured but in the presser his claims are opposite from what he discussed with me.”

On Saturday, the deposed premier said that people were being abducted and threatened to give false statements against the PTI leaders.

“Attempts are being made to register fake cases against the PTI leaders by threatening and blackmailing them through leaked audio and video clips,” Imran said, citing examples of PTI leaders Shahbaz Gill and Senator Azam Swati.

During the televised address, Imran asked Ali to tell his story, indicating that Dar had facilitated Ali to get a Class-4 watchman’s job in the education department.

Ali said that he was abducted by four police officials who shifted him to an unidentified location after blindfolding him.

Later, some unidentified persons also came there. He claimed that he was brutally tortured and hanged upside down to give false statements against Dar.

"I was forced to give a statement that Usman Dar took bribe for providing me a job in the government department. When I refused to give the false statement, I was stripped naked and filmed. They threatened to strip my wife and release her videos on social media if I refused to give statement. I was also forced to record a statement against Usman Dar for receiving bribes from contractors," he said, adding that he was blackmailed when the police brought his wife into the next room.