Pakistan Today

PTI’s Usman Dar says Ayaz Sadiq should ‘relax’ by resigning

Humzah Rehman

LAHORE: Discussing the controversial statement of National Assembly speaker, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Usman Dar said if Ayaz Sadiq wants to ‘relax’, he should do that by tendering a resignation.

Earlier on Wednesday, Ayaz expressed fear that he “does not see the [incumbent] assembly completing its tenure”. The following day the speaker said that he is “feeling relaxed” after giving a statement about his fear regarding the possibility that the assembly will not complete its due term.

Usman Dar dismissed a report questioning his degree from Schiller International University.

A few days back a report published in a newspaper had stated that Britain’s Department of Education did not recognise the Schiller University, which had issued a master’s degree to the PTI leader.

Speaking exclusively to Pakistan Today, Usman said political opponents were carrying out propaganda against him. “I have contacted the Higher Education Commission (HEC) for my degree verification and the on-going delays,” he said, adding, “In the coming days, I’m going to do a press conference as I have ample proof to put an end to this propaganda.”

He said his bachelors degree from Punjab University makes him eligible for contesting an election.

Elaborating further on the issue, he said, “Schiller University was not a British varsity, but an American one, with its main campus in Florida.” He added that according to the university record, he obtained his MBA degree from the London campus in 1997. The same university also had campuses in Germany, Spain, France and other countries, he explained. “While living in Germany, I had chosen this university because I found this institute was [the only one] offering courses in the English language,” he said. “Linking this institution with an Axact-like university is wrong.”

Expressing his feelings on Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan’s recent comment—where she said “a herd of politically orphaned people want to take over the PTI. If the same group had focused on their constituency, Khawaja Asif would not have been able to wield influence there,”—Usman said, “I’m sorry to say that in 2013, Dr Firdous sahiba herself wasn’t able to manage a notable gathering in Sialkot. [It’s ironic that] she showed her support by not contesting on the same seat against me, but now she is telling me how to reform myself in politics.”

Responding to a question about not selecting Babar Awan as a lawyer for Khawaja Asif Iqama petition, the PTI leader said, “Besides the fact that Babar Awan is too busy in other cases, this was a party decision, not mine.” It is pertinent to mention here that Awan was his lawyer in NA-110 rigging case.

Talking about the disqualification petition against the foreign minister, Usman said, “This issue with Khawaja Asif is not new, rather a 20-year-old one. We are fighting for [the sake of] Sialkot and to eradicate corruption from the city. We are trying to rid the city of Khawaja Asif.”

He said the Iqama disqualification case involves many other grounds as well. “As a federal minister, Asif did not declare his global income,” he said. “Moreover, his bank account of National Bank of Abu Dubai was not disclosed either, along with the transactions carried out by his family members from his foreign account.”

Discussing his preparations for the coming general elections, Usman told Pakistan Today: “I have constituted an election team comprising of 5,000 PTI workers, and they have started working in their union councils (UCs). We are still pretty much in the phase of 2013 elections as demand for insaf and mandate and the fight against corruption is still there.”

On a question about the alliance of religious parties, he said, “We will not allow Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) to play its cards against PTI in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.”

When asked what will be his party’s stance if Pakistan People’s Party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari joins Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri on the container demanding Shehbaz Sharif and Rana Sanaullah’s resignation, Usman said, “I don’t think Khan sahb will share the container with PAT chief in the presence of Zardari.”

Moreover, he expressed solidarity with the Model Town incident victims, saying “those martyrs were Pakistanis first and then they were PAT workers.”

Later, on Friday, he tweeted: “The services of to PTI are immeasurable. He is a ferocious Insafian & an entrenched warrior. This Tehreek has been made stronger & resilient because of his contributions.”

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