Islamabad - The authorities in federal government have instructed Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhewa power corridors to keep a close eye on political activities of former powerful PTI leader Jhangir Khan Traeen (JKT) to prevent political fallout after the forensic audit report of sugar crisis.

Sources privy to the development said that the senior level authorities at the Centre have assigned this task to Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhewa Mehmood Khan and Punjab Minister for Food Abdul Aleem Khan. 

The move comes after the special inquiry commission on sugar in its report accused JKT of committing tax frauds by violating various laws and vowed to contest the report.

JKT had played key role in cobbling together electable candidates in 2018 general elections that led PTI to come into power.

“There is no doubt that JKT still enjoys good relations with those whom he had given party tickets and they won their respective seats”, a senior PTI confided to The Nation on Saturday.

Requesting not to be named because of political sensitivity of the issue, the PTI leader said that JKT could still cause serious setback for the party because of his connections within the party.

When asked what kind of challenge JKT could pose to the PTI leadership, the PTI leader said he could help facilitate formation of forward blocks in the Punjab and KPK.

Although JKT had so far avoided making any direct political comment but he had made it clear to all and sundry in the PITI that he was still in PTI, which according to party insiders had alerted the PTI top-notch of his political ambitions.

They also ruled any possibility of patch up between the Prime Minister and JKT. However, despite several attempts JKT was not available for his comments.

Last month the inquiry committee headed by FIA Director General Wajid Zia in its report had alleged JKT and other sugar mills owners of benefitting the most from the government subsidy. 

“After coming out of these reports, no powerful lobby will be able to profiteer at the expense of our public,” the prime minister had said via a tweet after the first inquiry report was made public. 

Prime Minister Imran Khan had constituted a special inquiry commission on sugar to conduct a detailed forensic audit of nine companies that had allegedly benefited from government subsidy on sugar.

The special inquiry commission which was supposed to submit the forensic audit report was granted three more weeks because of Covid-19 pandemic and it finally submitted the report on 21 may.