Jahangir Tareen says his loyalty being tested but will not part ways with PTI

A banking court extended on Wednesday the interim bail granted to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Tareen, his son Ali Tareen and two other accused in a money laundering case.

The court extended their interim pre-arrest bail until April 10 due to the absence of judge Ameer Muhammad Khan.

Estranged PTI leader Jahangir Tareen said that his loyalty to Prime Minister Imran Khan was being tested, but that he is not parting ways with the PTI.

“Not one, not two but three FIRs have been registered against me,” he said.

“Out of the 80 sugar mill owners, all they could see was Jahangir Tareen,” he said, questioning why he was being subjected to “revenge”.

The PTI leader said his “loyalty is being tested”. He added that an inquiry against him, relating to the sugar crisis, has been going on for the last year.

He lamented that his accounts as well as those belonging to his son, Ali Tareen, had been frozen. “Why have my accounts been frozen? Who is doing this? Who benefits from this?” he asked.

Tareen said he was “asking for justice from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf”, adding that he was a friend, but is being “pushed towards enmity”.

In response to a question, Tareen said it was time to expose those involved in a conspiracy against him. He said PM Khan can expose the person who was hell-bent on exacting revenge against him.

Despite his grievances against the ruling party, Tareen said he was not parting ways with the PTI. “I am a member of the PTI and will remain so,” he said.

When asked whether he was about to meet former president and PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari, he said the reports were not true.

Earlier, on April 6, Sindh Minister for Women Development Shahla Raza, who belongs to the PPP, on Tuesday deleted a tweet in which she speculated on the possibility of Tareen joining PPP during a meeting “next week” with Zardari in Karachi.

Raza had claimed Tareen had already met PPP’s Makhdoom Ahmed Mahmood, and “it is believed he will meet Zardari” in Karachi.

Responding to Raza’s statement, Tareen had said a “consistent propaganda” campaign is in place against him. “The reports of my meeting with PPP leaders are baseless.”