Govt confirms Umar Dar in police custody

The Punjab government told the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday that Umar Dar, the brother of former PTI leader Usman Dar, was under the custody of the Sialkot police.

This revelation came during the hearing of a petition filed by Usman alleging the unlawful detention of his brother by law enforcement authorities.

Justice Ali Baqar Najafi presided over the proceedings attended by the brothers’ mother Rehana, as well as Umar’s daughter.

Representing the provincial government, Punjab Additional Advocate General Ghulam Sarwar Nihan appeared before the court, while Umar was represented by counsel Abuzar Salman Niazi. Nihan told the court, “Umar Dar is in police custody.”

Read: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2452683/imran-arrested-in-ghq-attack-case

“He was apprehended on January 8 from Gujrat,” the counsel shared, revealing Umar’s location to be the Cantt police station under Sialkot police custody.

Moreover, the provincial counsel said that Umar was implicated in two first information reports connected to the violent disturbances on May 9, following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan. The lawyer detailed that the Punjab police initially apprehended the man and later transferred his custody to the Sialkot investigation police.

Following the hearing, Niazi remarked that his client had been “located.”

In a statement shared on social media platform X, Niazi reiterated, “Finally Punjab police has admitted before LHC Justice Baqar Najfi that Umar Dar is in custody of Sialkot police related to first information report in Cantt Police Station, Sialkot.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 10^th, 2024.