LAHORE   -   Members of Jahangir Khan Tareen (JKT) group Thursday accused the Punjab government of using pressure tactics to change the loyalties of its members.

The JKT group had its third consecutive meeting to take stock of the ever-changing political situation in the country and the Punjab province. The group members also did not attend a meeting of PTI’s parliamentary party that was to be chaired by the prime minister on Thursday.

Talking to the media after the meeting, Saeed Akbar Nawani alleged that the government had closed down a petrol pump owned by Provincial Minister Ajmal Cheema besides stopping the operations of his transport company.

“Such actions will prove counterproductive as the matters will get worse instead of going in the right directions,” he said, adding that the group was intact and would not bow down to such pressure tactics.

He also stated that such vindictive measures would not help resolve the matters.

Asked if they were ready to face a situation where the government could close businesses of all the 26 members of their group, Nawani threatened that they would close the Punjab Assembly in reaction. “How can they run the Assembly business with our members being victimised,” he added.

He also declared that there was no change in their stance, and they stood firmly on their stated position regarding the change of guard in Punjab.

To a question, he said that they had been invited to attend a meeting of the PTI’s parliamentary party meeting on Thursday, but they decided not to attend after mutual consultation.

Replying to a question, Nawani said that the two provincial ministers – Syed Samsam Bukhari and Asif Nakai – who called on PM Imran Khan on Thursday had never been part of the JKT group. “None of the original members of our group has left us,” he added.

He also rejected reports that he was the candidate for the slot of CM from the JKT group. He said his group had not yet floated any name for the new chief minister.