LAHORE: Punjab MPA Nazir Chohan on Wednesday announced to part ways with the faction of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) considered loyal to estranged leader Jahangir Tareen.
Addressing a media briefing alongside Punjab Minister for Prisons Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan, after being granted bail by a sessions court, Nazir Chohan said that he is no longer associated with the Tareen group.
“Jahangir Tareen used me for his case and then threw me away,” he said. Nazir said that he was never called by Tareen in his hour of need, whereas he accompanied Tareen on every court appearance.
Nazir expressed his gratitude to Punjab Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi for taking a stance for him. He also thanked Shahzad Akbar, saying he was the first to call him and inquired about his health. “I have apologised to Shahzad Akbar. I am remorseful over my actions which affected him and his family,” he said.
Nazir went on to state that Imran Khan is his only leader. He said that Tareen “should be ashamed of himself for not even bothering to visit” him in the hospital. The PTI member said the “the faces of a lot of hypocrites have been exposed” in the episode.
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Punjab minister Fayyaz-ul-Hasan Chohan acknowledged that conflict within the party but said the disgruntled party members had expressed their concerns with senior party leaders.
“Shahzad Akbar played a positive role in assisting mediation efforts,” he said, adding that no one has the right to object to anyone’s faith and probe such matters.
Nazir Chohan had levelled allegations that challenged the religious beliefs of the prime minister’s adviser on accountability Shahzad Akbar during a TV show.
Akbar filed a police complaint the next day and then proceeded to have an FIR registered against Chohan on May 29. Chohan was subsequently arrested by police on July 27 but was released later in the day on bail.
A day later, however, he was arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency over a separate complaint filed by Akbar and was accused of running a malicious campaign on social media.
While in FIA’s custody, which was granted a 14-day judicial remand of Chohan, the PTI MPA was taken to Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) after his health deteriorated.
Chohan released a video message admitting his mistake and apologised to Akbar. He was eventually granted bailed after Akbar forgave Chohan and stamped a written reconciliation.
