Staff Reporter Islamabad
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday met with a group of 33 disgruntled PTI lawmakers – who have rallied around ruling party’s beleaguered former secretary general Jahangir Tareen—and assured them of an unbiased inquiry into the sugar scandal.
According to sources, during the meeting with the premier, lawmakers requested Imran Khan to remove Shehzad Akbar and his team from the investigation and hold a fresh inquiry in the case.
Hinting of personal vendetta, the lawmakers stated that Shehzad Akbar was targeting Tareen and was making up false cases against him.
Speaking to the lawmakers, Imran Khan stressed that no society could progress unless it upheld the law and the Constitution.
The premier further said that though Jahangir Tareen was a dear friend, but questions had to be asked on the sudden hike in sugar prices. He assured his party leaders of an unbiased inquiry into the case.
Earlier, a meeting of the disgruntled lawmakers was held at the residence of Jahangir Tareen.
The thirty three disgruntled PTI lawmakers included 11 National Assembly members (MNAs), including Minister for State and Frontier Regions Sahibzada Mehboob Sultan.
The MNAs include Raja Riaz, Sami Gillani, Riaz Mazari, Khwaja Sheeraz, Mobeen Alam Anwar, Javed Waraich, Ghulam Lali, Ghulam Bibi Bharwana, Faizul Hassan Shah and Sahibzada Ameer Sultan.
A total of 22 ruling party lawmakers from the Punjab Assembly (MPAs) are also part of the group that is now tagged as the PTI’s “Hum Khayal” Group.
These include two provincial ministers – Nauman Langrial and Ajmal Cheema and four provincial advisers – Abdul Hai Dasti, Ameer M Khan, Rafaqat Gillani and Faisal Jabuwana.
