Could anyone be more of a PTI insider than ousted Punjab Governor Muhammad Sarwar? Not unless it was former Punjab Senior Minister Aleem Khan, who was once thought to be Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ATM. Both men have a grouse with Mr Khan, but especially over former Punjab CM Usman Buzdar. When both separately said that there was massive corruption in Punjab, through the shadowy figure of one Ms Farah Khan, the tale, even though apparently fantastic, deserves some credence. This is especially so because the story both men tell is not just the same, but also confirms rumours that had been swirling around Mr Buzdar, that everything in the provincial government, whether postings or executive decisions, was for sale, and that the sale price had to be paid to Ms Farah. She has now fled the country, but many question marks still remain.
Quite apart from the optics of a party which had been elected for accountability and which alleged corruption by its predecessors, that both Mr Buzdar and Ms Farah Khan were linked to the Prime Minister’s wife, leads to the implication that Mr Khan benefited personally from what was a very basic level of corruption. It also explains Mr Khan’s clear reluctance to give up office, and especially to not allow the opposition to take control of the Punjab government. Whatever Mr Khan’s personal role in the matter, it is likely that an opposition administration would investigate the whole matter, and would do to Mr Khan things he had done to opponents. While posing as a knight in shining armour, clad with claims of honesty, he had not only labelled them unfit to talk to, but had also made sure that not just them but their daughters, sons and wives were dragged through the investigative process. Mr Khan would only be human if reluctant to face being at the receiving end of such treatment.
Whatever Mr Khan’s reservations, the allegations by these insiders must be thoroughly investigated. According to the rumour mill, investigations have already been made, and the results placed before Mr Khan, only for nothing to be done. If that is the case, it will have to be determined how such investigations are to be protected, so that any corruption is stopped during the commission of the offence, rather than merely punished afterwards.
