The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) may face an internal revolt in its ranks in case the federal government decides to proceed against Jahangir Khan Tareen, once the most trusted confidant of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Presently, Tareen has adopted 'wait-and-see' policy - to wait till the outcome of the anxiously awaited forensic report on the sugar crisis - and he may chalk out his future strategy accordingly, sources in the ruling party told Business Recorder.
"If the forensic report implicates Tareen, then he will react. If the report gives him a clean chit or somewhat bails him out, it would be a huge sigh of relief for him and he will have no reason to be bitter against the Prime Minister and PTI," said a senior PTI parliamentarian on condition of anonymity.
The forensic report on sugar crisis was scheduled to be released on April 25 but it has been delayed fuelling speculation that the powerful quarters in establishment, who have cordial ties with Tareen, want the matter hushed up.
"There is a feeling among certain ranks in the power centers that Tareen is innocent-he is simply a beneficiary of a decision taken by the cabinet to provide a subsidy on sugar, and as such, he did not commit any illegality or crime and he should not be the one to face the music," the source, known to be on close terms with the security establishment, said.
The source said that Prime Minister Khan was angry with Tareen and he was all set to go against him before the powerful quarters intervened, which explains the mysterious delay in the release of the forensic report on sugar crisis.
In addition, the provincial leadership of the PTI Punjab chapter feels that implicating Tareen in sugar crisis would trigger a silent internal revolt in the ruling party, a senior PTI leader from Punjab said.
"There are several MNAs [Members national Assembly] and MPAs (Members provincial Assembly) from South Punjab who enjoy close association with Tareen. Needless to add he wields quite an influence on power politics of South Punjab," he said.
He further said that targeting Tareen is like 'stoking fire' at a time when the calls from South Punjab for a new province are gaining momentum and the federal government is unable to honour this demand due to its limitations including political compulsions and lack of the desired two-third majority in the Parliament and Punjab's provincial assembly," the source said.
In Punjab, a powerful PTI group led by Aleem Khan is a strong supporter of Tareen. Other PTI leaders in the province and at the centre include Raja Riaz, Nadeem Afzal Chan, Fawad Chaudhry, Murad Saeed and others also enjoy close association with Tareen, the insider added.
"Tareen is regarded as a pioneer of 'overhauling' the ruling party where it stands today, with governments at the centre, a coalition government in Punjab and a significant stakeholder in the Senate. He is not someone who can be targeted with no repercussions," he added. Business Recorder tried to contact Jahangir Tareen at his two cell numbers to get his views on the matter but he was not available for comments as both his numbers were switched off.
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