Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Khan Tareen said that the reference filed against him was unfair and he was being victimised as his business interests clash with the Prime Minister's. While speaking on the floor of the National Assembly on Friday, he said that his name is among top six paying maximum taxes in the country. Jahangir Tareen said he never got his any loan written off. He said the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has been turned into a personal institute. "I have never been part of a defaulted company," he added.
He said he had received a letter not a notice from the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP). He claimed "the Prime Minister is illegally transferring his Chaudhry Sugar Mill to Rahimyar Khan. The court gave a judgement in my favour and ordered to stop construction work on Nawaz Sharif's mill." Tareen said he was being personally targeted and he would take up this issue at every forum. "I will stand by Imran Khan even if 10 references are filed against me," he elaborated.
Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq interrupted him, saying if he has any issues he can knock the doors of court or the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). "I forwarded the references according to what I thought was right," he added. The Speaker said he did not chair the session when PTI Chairman Imran Khan addressed the House on Thursday as there was possibility of a verbal clash.
During the speech of Tareen, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif left the House along with Finance Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar and other ministers. It may be mentioned here that the Prime Minister unexpectedly attended the National Assembly's session on Friday. Several tweets made by Tareen indicated that the Prime Minister harbours "personal grudges" against him. "In banned area for Chaudhry Sugar Mills. The reason why Nawaz Sharif walked out and his cronies have gone berserk is because I stand in the way of injustice. I am the only citizen of Pakistan who challenged this illegal act of the PM in the Court of Law. In July, the court announced a stay against Nawaz Sharif," he tweeted.
State Minister for Information Technology Anusha Rehman Khan said Tareen has an option to explain this in the ECP. She alleged that Tareen was involved in insider trading and SECP had issued a show case notice to him. She said Tareen had admitted his fault and paid Rs 70 million to SECP for violating its rules and regulations. Meanwhile, Talal Chaudhry of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) harshly criticised Imran and Tareen, saying that the PTI leaders have been terming the Speaker fake but they are also addressing him as Speaker.
Talking to media persons after National Assembly's session, Chaudhry said that Tareen entered into politics by holding Nawaz Sharif's hands. He blamed Tareen for committing "widespread corruption", saying that he manipulated SECP shares for illegal gains. He asked: "Tareen should tell us as to how he became a billionaire?" Criticising Imran, Chaudhry said that Imran was dubbing the Speaker and Assembly as thief, but thieves were sitting at right and left of Imran Khan. He said the masses had rejected the leaders and parties doing politics of agitation and sit-ins. Chaudhry said they would present evidence before the people to substantiate the disqualification references that the PML-N filed against Tareen and Imran.