I have been saying this for the past five years that Jehangir Tareen and others surrounding Imran Khan are corrupt, but some people fiercely defended them
Even Imran Khan defended them on every forum, despite Supreme Court declaring Tareen as dishonest and disqualified. And even after SECP charged Tareen of fraudulent insider trading and NAB made a plea bargain with the PTI stalwart.
Imran turned a blind eye and made Tareen chair official government meetings after he became prime minister. Imran used him for hijacking electables before elections and then elected representatives to form government. He allowed him to export sugar while other ministers and secretaries were against it.
Not only did Imran allow exports but gave a subsidy to the sugar industry. This was done while he was refusing to subsidize Haj and electricity saying the government has no money. Tareen and Khusro Bakhtiar, a minister in Imran’s cabinet, reaped most of the benefit.
Imran let Tareen benefit from inflated prices due to shortage and again through allowing import of sugar back into Pakistan, the sugar exported a couple of months back. The scam is in tens of billions. It doesn’t end there, just last week Tareen was awarded Utility Stores Corporation supply tender worth millions.
Finally, someone decided to press the brake by leaking the FIA report on sugar and flour crises which had been lying idle on Imran’s table for months.
Everyone knew about the findings of FIA inquiry. The media widely reported that Tareen and Khusro Bakhtiar were the main culprits. The media was threatened and legal notices for defamation were served to those reporting it. Anchors were fired by media houses who couldn’t bear the pressure and those who refused to bow down were arrested and put behind bars on unproven charges.
Finally on April 4, the actual report mysteriously finds its way to media. It was exactly as journalists were reporting for months. It took the prime minister more than 24 hours to claim that it was actually him making good on his promise of publishing the report.
What happened after the report was leaked and Imran took responsibility for even more embarrassing. The cabinet was reshuffled, accused ministers were given new portfolios, and Tareen was removed from a post he never had. No action was taken against those who allowed exports, approve subsidy and no criminal charges against those who benefited multifold; it’s all done and dusted.
This is a typical cover-up but PTI social media trolls and advisors are claiming victory for publishing the report and having taken unprecedented action, while in reality neither report is published by government nor any action has been taken so far.
Last evening, in a televised interview Tareen admitted that the whole PTI campaign against alleged rigging in 2013 elections was a lie. PTI had lost miserably in many constituencies, most candidates were on fourth or fifth positions and nowhere in close contest.
He then takes credit for horsetrading and bringing in the so-called “electable political dynasties” to PTI, the same people that serve as clutches on which Imran’s government was formed and still stands.
This is exactly what I have been saying for seven years now. There was very limited rigging in 2013 elections in some constituencies, not on a large scale to change overall national results.
Imran’s claim of rigging was bogus and lie that cost Pakistan dearly, disrupted development work and destroyed economy by creating uncertainty through months long sit-in and lockdown.
Imran did all this to gain power, and to remain into power he will, if need may arise, even sacrifice Tareen. Imran cannot absolve himself by sacrificing pawns. He knew well what he was doing and should face the consequences of his actions.
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