Jahangir Tareen is an important pillar of PTI: Punjab govt spokesperson

• Punjab government spokesperson says Jahangir Tareen had played an important role in forming the Buzdar government.
• Firdous Ashiq Awan says Tareen will never want to see PTI getting weak on the political front.
• Tareen is facing multiple cases filed after a report on sugar scandal named him.

LAHORE: While acknowledging the services of disgruntled PTI leader Jahangir Tareen, the Punjab government has said that he is an important pillar of the ruling party and had worked hard to bring the PTI to power.

While speaking on Geo Pakistan on Thursday, Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said Prime Minister Imran Khan had come to power on the manifesto of the supremacy of law and a corruption-free Pakistan and all those PTI leaders and ministers who were accused of corruption had returned to their positions after getting themselves cleared from the charges.

She dismissed media reports claiming that the government is taking revengeful action against Tareen.

Tareen is facing charges of corruption in the sugar scandal and multiple cases have been filed against him. The PTI leader, after appearing in court on Wednesday, had said that his loyalty to Prime Minister Imran Khan was being tested, but that he is not parting ways with the PTI.

Read more: Shazia Marri rejects reports of Jahangir Tareen joining PPP

While responding to a question, Awan said that Tareen would never take a step that would harm PTI and that he had played an important role in forming the Buzdar government and taking forward the policies of the PTI government.

"Jahangir Tareen will never want to see PTI getting weak on the political front. In pursuance of PM Khan's mission he was active as a soldier," she added.

‘Pushed towards enmity’

"Not one, not two but three FIRs have been registered against me," Tareen had said outside court on Wednesday.

"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 had 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.

Read more: Stop the smear campaign, future sales are normal business activity, says Jahangir Tareen

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 had 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".

Despite his grievances against the ruling party, Tareen maintained that he was not parting ways with the PTI. "I am a member of the PTI and will remain so," he had said in response to a question.

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