LAHORE: Leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Jamshaid Dasti has alleged that law enforcement officials forcibly entered his residence in Muzaffargarh, Punjab, during the early hours of Sunday and mistreated his wife.
The PTI, to which Dasti belongs, claims that state machinery is being utilized to intimidate them in the lead-up to the February 8 elections.
In a brief video shared on the social media platform X, Dasti, a four-time parliamentarian, asserted that individuals from the counter-terrorism department (CTD) and intelligence agencies subjected his family members to brutality, holding them captive for three hours.
He said that his wife endured mistreatment and appealed to Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa to take notice of the incident.
Dasti further contended that the law enforcement personnel behaved like "thugs and criminals," inflicting harm on his children, including his 10-month-old son. The PTI leader expressed deep distress over the situation, attributing the alleged cruelty to his support for Imran Khan.
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He conveyed his readiness to face any consequences, even death, and emphasized the compromise of his honor.
However, the Station House Officer (SHO) Muzaffargarh Khurram Riaz refuted Dasti's claims in a video statement, dismissing them as "baseless" and mere "lies." Riaz asserted that there was no raid on Jamshaid Dasti's residence, and his family was not mistreated. The police officer mentioned that over 40 cases had been registered against Dasti, insinuating that he was attempting to create a false narrative.
Riaz accused Dasti of trying to instill "fear and chaos" within his community and clarified that Nazia Dasti, the politician's wife, had submitted her nomination papers without facing any harassment or filing a complaint during the process on Saturday.
