As reported by Express Tribune, Tareen and Imran Khan were regarded as close aides in running the party and the government but since Tareen got named in an unveiled report of a Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) that revealed that Tareen was among the beneficiaries of a sugar crisis that hit the country in January, things hadn’t been well for the two.
Tareen has admitted in an interview that his relationship with Khan has gone south, ever since the report.
An old party worker told the Express Tribune that prime minister’s Principal Secretary Azam Khan and Federal Minister for Planning, Asad Umar, have tried hard to create a rift between Imran and Tareen. He claimed that the basic aim behind releasing the sugar crisis report was just to defame the PTI leader from Lodhran.
He said the commission could not find out any evidence that Tareen committed any wrongdoing. “Even the subsidy on sugar was given with the approval of the federal cabinet,” he said.
He said Tareen still has support from most of the party, in these times of difficulty.
“They are dissatisfied with the federal and Punjab government functionaries who have failed to resolve grievances related to their constituencies,” he said.
There is apparently a cold war between unelected advisers and special assistants in the prime minister’s cabinet and the elected lawmakers. Around 15 unelected advisers and special assistants are part of the federal cabinet and enjoy status as federal and state ministers.
Their appointments have already been challenged in the apex court.
According to sources, the premier needs Tareen’s support for smooth functioning of Punjab government as one of the PTI’s key allies in Punjab, PML-Q, is apparently not happy with PM Imran Khan. PML(N) also wants to raise the issue of the sugar corruption.