Tareen forms new political party
PTI leader and disgruntled sugar tycoon – Jahangir Tareen – announced on Wednesday the formation of a new political party – Istehkam-e-Pakistan – comprising more than 100 former Assembly members and leaders of the former party power the first.
The announcement was made at the residence of Aleem Khan – another splinter PTI leader, where a dinner party was being held for the former ruling party MP. Nearly 100 former PTI members from the National and Provincial Assembly joined the new party, expressing confidence in Tareen’s leadership.
Joining the party are former Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, former Supply Minister Ali Zaidi, former federal minister Amir Kayani, Firdous Ashiq Awan, Mahmood Molvi, Fayyazul Hassan Chohan, Murad Raas and Jai Parkash. Meanwhile, GG Jamal from former Fata, Ajmal Parvez, Nauman Langrial from Punjab and Naurez Shakoor have also joined the new party.
Syed Rafakat Ali Gillani, former adviser to the Punjab chief minister on auqaf and religious affairs, has also joined the Tareen movement. Former Chishtian MPA Mumtaz Mehrvi also announced to join Istehkam-e-Pakistan.
Similarly, former MLAs from Sahiwal, Mehr Irshad Kathia, Mian Usman Ashraf from Nankana Sahib, and Major (Purn) Khurram Rokhiri from Mianwali decided to join the new party. Tareen is expected to hold an important press conference with her party members on Friday (tomorrow).
Several PTI leaders parted ways with the party after the government blamed Imran Khan for the riots across the country following his arrest in a corruption case on May 9.The protesters attacked government infrastructure as well as army posts and also damaged the residence of the Lahore army chief.
The disgruntled PTI leader was known to have influence over senior leaders from Karachi, Sindh hinterland, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Tareen, who was Imran’s ex-husband and helped the PTI form the government in Punjab in 2018, fell out with the PTI chairman after he allowed the FIA to arrest him in the sugar scam in early 2021.
