ISLAMABAD - The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is facing opposition within its own ranks over the expected meeting between its estranged leader Jahangir Khan Tareen and Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Informed sources told The Nation yesterday that a difference of opinion exists within the party over this likely meeting as some party leaders believe that this will dent the slogan of PTI against corruption.
Earlier this week, Tareen told reporters in Lahore that some individuals from Islamabad had assured of a meeting between his group of lawmakers and PM Imran Khan, in a few days, to hear their grievances over the corruption investigations against him.
Background interviews with some PTI leaders indicate that some trouble-shooters of the party had moved ahead to convince the PM that he should hear to the reservations of Tareen and the group of PTI lawmakers who have shown their support to him. These PTI leaders think that Tareen is an asset for the party and the PM should meet him and satisfy him that he would not be victimized in the ongoing FIA investigations against him in the sugar scam. They view that this group should be satisfied at a time when Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government is facing many other challenges.
The others within the party opposing this meeting say that this will provide an opportunity to the opposition parties to raise questions on the accountability drive of the government and will perhaps give an impression that this anti-corruption slogan is only meant to victimize the opponents. They stress that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) that works under the PM would not be able to investigate the sugar scandal independently when the PM himself would meet the prime accused in this case.
A day before, PTI leader and federal minister Ali Amin Gandapur in a public statement had said that “PM’s meeting Tareen will increase the pressure on the institutions” as this will give the impression of a soft corner for the latter. Though courts have still to decide on the allegations against Tareen, Gandapur alleged that the sugar baron has been found involved in corruption in the reports of the institutions.
Background interviews with some PTI leaders revealed that Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Gandapur did not make the statement in isolation and this actually represented the point of view of those party leaders who are opposing this meeting. An office bearer of the PTI’s Central Secretariat said that this difference of opinion was not a big issue but this should be clear for everyone that “PM Imran Khan never makes compromises when it comes to his accountability drive against corruption.” “The difference of opinion is a democratic norm in a political party,” said Secretary Information PTI Ahmad Jawad.
In the last couple of weeks, a group of around 30 lawmakers of PTI had gathered, more than once, at the residence of Tareen in Lahore to show their support with the party leader who had been booked by the FIA on charges of fraud and money laundering in connection with sugar scandal.
The estranged PTI lawmakers belonging to the national and Punjab assemblies had sought a meeting with the PM to hear to their reservations regarding the ongoing investigations against Tareen.
Tareen in a statement himself has said that he was being victimized and FIA has registered “fake cases” against him.