ISLAMABAD – The semblance of unity within the ranks of ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was badly shaken after the foreign ministers Shah Mehmood Qureshi and former secretary general Jahangir Khan Tareen renewed their rivalry in public.
The first salvo in the fresh bout was fired by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Monday who objected to Tareen’s attending official meetings despite being disqualified by the supreme court in 2017.
Qureshi while admitting that Tareen ‘has done a lot for the party’ and is a God-gifted man with outstanding capabilities, forwarded a request that he should not attend government meetings as PTI workers were mentally unable to accept it.
“I would ask my brother [Tareen] to think about this: when you participate in government meetings, it gives Marriyum Aurangzeb [PML-N leader] a chance to hold a press conference and call into question if this [your participation in meetings] is not contempt of court?”
Qureshi also brought up Article 62(1)(f) in his press conference, saying “when it applies to Nawaz Sharif, we say he is not eligible for a party or official position, but it changes for us [PTI]”.
On the other hand, Tareen did not shrug off the criticism and took to Twitter, explaining that he considered Prime Minister Imran Khan as his leader to whom he was answerable.
https://twitter.com/JahangirKTareen/status/1112659238868930560
What others may say for their own strange reasons does not concern me, JKT added.
As soon as Tareen hit back at his colleague, a bevy of sitting ministers rallied behind Tareen and posed confidence in him.
Federal Minister for Water Resources provided succour to Tareen, saying that he sits in official meetings on the insistence of cabinet members, including himself.
https://twitter.com/FaisalVawdaPTI/status/1112672863612534785
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry also displayed his support for Tareen and credited him for playing a decisive role for the establishing of the government.
https://twitter.com/fawadchaudhry/status/1112692429994557440
“He is one of the biggest reasons for PTI being in power. He joins cabinet meetings on the prime minister’s wish,” said Chaudhry.
Jahangir Khan Tareen was disqualified by the Supreme Court in December 2017 for mis-declaration under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution — the same clause under which former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was shown the door from parliamentary politics over the Panama Papers leaks case.
