MNA Dawar questions his arrest

Published December 3, 2018
Mohsin Dawar was offloaded from a Dubai-bound flight. — File photo
Mohsin Dawar was offloaded from a Dubai-bound flight. — File photo

PESHAWAR: An independent member of the National Assembly from North Waziristan, Mohsin Dawar, has expressed concern over his offloading from a Dubai-bound plane by authorities on the ground that his name was on the Exit Control List (ECL).

Speaking at a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Sunday, the lawmaker recalled that he along with another MNA, Ali Wazir, was going to the UAE to attend a cultural event in Dubai when security personnel stopped them, saying they were wanted by the Swabi police.

“We had held a peaceful public meeting in Swabi and did nothing wrong, but police registered a case against us without any reason. I approached the court which granted me bail before arrest till Dec 4, but I along with the other MNA was detained at the Bacha Khan International Airport,” he regretted.

Mr Dawar said the Federal Investigation Agency kept him in custody for three days without getting prior permission from the speaker of the National Assembly.

He claimed that their names were put on the ECL a day before their flight to the UAE on Friday. “We are in contact with leaders of various political parties as our arrest is an insult to the mandate of Waziristan’s people,” he said.

The MNA demanded action against those personnel who arrested them.

“We held a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan and conveyed to him our demands regarding peace and development in our region. The prime minister agreed to support us and during his recent visit to Waziristan announced many development schemes for it,” he said.

The lawmaker appreciated the government’s stand on Kartarpur corridor and suggested that people of Pakistan and Afghanistan should also be facilitated in the same manner at Torkham, Chaman, Spin Boldak and Ghulam Khan borders.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2018

Opinion

Editorial

Smog hazard
Updated 05 Nov, 2024

Smog hazard

The catastrophe unfolding in Lahore is a product of authorities’ repeated failure to recognise environmental impact of rapid urbanisation.
Monetary policy
05 Nov, 2024

Monetary policy

IN an aggressive move, the State Bank on Monday reduced its key policy rate by a hefty 250bps to 15pc. This is the...
Cultural power
05 Nov, 2024

Cultural power

AS vital modes of communication, art and culture have the power to overcome social and international barriers....
Disregarding CCI
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Disregarding CCI

The failure to regularly convene CCI meetings means that the process of democratic decision-making is falling apart.
Defeating TB
04 Nov, 2024

Defeating TB

CONSIDERING the fact that Pakistan has the fifth highest burden of tuberculosis in the world as per the World Health...
Ceasefire charade
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Ceasefire charade

The US talks of peace, while simultaneously arming and funding their Israeli allies, are doomed to fail, and are little more than a charade.