ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Imran Khan held a meeting with some 30 disgruntled lawmakers of his PTI party here on Tuesday and made it clear that he would not succumb to any pressure regarding ongoing investigation against PTI leader Jahangir Khan Tareen. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) would continue investigations to take the ‘sugar scandal’ to its logical end.
“Justice will be ensured in this case but everyone should keep this in mind that I cannot quit standing by the truth only to seize power,” PM Imran Khan was quoted as saying this in the meeting.
As many 33 lawmakers of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insafe (PTI) belonging to like-minded group of estranged party leader Jahangir Khan Tareen met with PM to convey their reservations on the ongoing FIA’s investigation against sugar baron Tareen and his son Ali Tareen in sugar scam.
The meeting held a day after the government removed FIA officer Dr Mohammad Rizwan heading the investigation in sugar scam to address the reservations of the group and appointed Additional Director General (ADG) FIA Abubakar Khuda Bakhsh as the head of the investigation team.
Shahzad Akbar has no enmity with anyone: PM
PM Imran Khan in the meeting rejected the proposal of the group headed by PTI MNA Raja Riaz Ahmad to form a judicial commission to hold a fresh inquiry against Tareen in sugar scandal, sources told The Nation.
The PM also rejected the allegations of the group that were leveled against Adviser to Prime Minister on Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar and his team what they said he was targeting Tareen and should be detached from the investigation process. “Akbar had no enmity with anyone,” PM said adding that he was working on merit.
PM Imran Khan told his party’s lawmakers belonging to National Assembly and Punjab Assembly that he cannot order to obstruct the ongoing investigation. “My first objective to seize power was to get established a uniform system of justice for everyone,” he said and added, “If anyone thinks that I would order to stop the probe after succumbing to the pressure he is at fault.” He said that anyone including Tareen would have to face the law if found guilty in the inquiry.
The premier who is the chairman of his own party told the like-minded group of Tareen that he only can order a fresh investigation, at party level, into their allegations that Tareen and his family were being victimised in this inquiry. He said that PTI Senator Ali Zafar, a lawyer, would be asked to hear them, inquire into the matter and give him a briefing. On this, Raja Riaz showed his suspicions that perhaps Zafar would not be able to hold an impartial probe. But PM rejected the stance of PTI MNA, the sources informed.
“No society can progress without upholding the supremacy of law and the Constitution,” PM Imran Khan told the participants adding that Tareen was his personal friend and the PTI leader as well. “My policy is clear that injustice should not be done even with the opponents during the accountability process,” he said. Addressing Raja Riaz, the PM said that many of you joined PTI later but he was adopting such a stance from the start when he entered into politics. PM said that justice demanded that they all were answerable before law. “Whether we have no right to question about sudden hike in sugar prices?” the premier questioned his own party lawmakers. He said that they should believe in him that an impartial probe would be held into the matter and justice should be ensured.
According to details, Raja Riaz, provincial minister in Punjab Malik Nauman Langrial, and Adviser to Chief Minister Punjab Abdul Hayee Dasti were prominent among those who talked on their turn to convey their reservations to PM.
According to sources, Tareen’s services for the party were no more a secret and they had come not to get favour but to ensure that justice should be done in the matter.
Another PTI lawmaker talked about the role of adviser Akbar and alleged that he was targeting Tareen only for “personal vendetta” and has ordered FIA to make false cases against him.
After the meeting, Raja Riaz told reporters that PM had ensured that justice would prevail in the case of Tareen and has sought some time to look into the matter. “We stand by PTI but our group is united,” he said adding that they would accompany Tareen during his next appearance in court.
Earlier, the like-minded group met at Tareen’s residence in an upscale residential area of Islamabad to discuss strategy for their meeting with PM. Tareen was also in attendance.
The group includes 11 members of the National Assembly (MNAs) and 22 members of Punjab Assembly. Federal Minister for State and Frontier Regions Sahibzada Mehboob Sultan, the two provincial ministers of PTI in Punjab including Malik Nauman Langrial and Muhammad Ajmal Cheema and four advisers to the Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar are part of the group.
Tareen did not accompany the group to meet with PM as some leaders of PTI had opposed his direct meeting with the premier at a time when he is facing accusations in the sugar scam.
The group of PTI lawmakers had openly come out to support Tareen when FIA, last month, had booked him in two difference cases on charges of fraud and money laundering in connection with sugar scandal. The lawmakers had written to PM seeking a meeting with him to hear their grievances regarding cases against Tareen.
Tareen was considered a powerful politician within PTI but he was side-lined last year after an inquiry into sugar crisis accused him of benefiting of skyrocketing prices of the commodity.
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