LAHORE: MNA Raja Riaz, one of the outspoken leaders of the group supporting ‘estranged’ Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Jahangir Khan Tareen, took everybody by surprise on Wednesday when he said Barrister Ali Zafar’s report had given a ‘clean chit’ to Tareen in a corruption reference.
Calling Barrister Zafar a ‘neutral empire’, PTI MNA said his report was a slap on the face of those conspiring against Tareen. “Now there is no justification for the Federal Investigation Agency’s probe into ‘estranged’ PTI leader’s case,” Riaz argued.
“We thank Allah (The Almighty) that we have been exonerated in the graft case,” he concluded.
According to media reports, Senator Zafar has determined after conducting fact-finding that Jahangir Khan Tareen is being unfairly targeted by the government agencies, a conclusion that has been contested by the prime minister’s camp during a meeting held in this regard. A formal report hasn’t been submitted yet; however, its key findings have been shared.
The senator shared his findings during a meeting presided over by Prime Minister Imran Khan. Attorney General Khalid Javed Khan and Adviser to PM on Accountability Shahzad Akbar were also present in the meeting. Zafar concluded that the charges against Tareen don’t hold much substance and that he was further targeted through the registration of FIRs against him and his son.
His findings did not go uncontested. Akbar was asked to give alternative facts in defence of FIA action and Khalid Javed Khan acted as an umpire between the two. Zafar was told that FIRs were registered in line with the recommendations of the Sugar Inquiry Commission.
It bears reiteration that the FIRs were not registered against Tareen, rather, all those held accused are facing the action. After hearing both sides, the attorney general voted in favour of Akbar and held that actions against Tareen were fair.
The former caretaker law minister posted a series of tweets after “some persons and the media” were “busy in guessing” on what his findings would turn out to be.
“Let me make it clear that there is no report submitted by me. Any findings, not [necessarily] in writing, shall be purely internal to the PTI and have no legal value or status nor can the same have any relevance to or effect pending enquiries/investigations against the sugar barons or Mr Tareen,” Zafar wrote.
The senator said that “there is no room for concessions against corruption” as per the government policy set out by Prime Minister Imran.
