Jahangir Khan Tareen in driver’s seat as post-Imran era in Pakistan begins to take shape

As desertions from ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Party continue unabated, new political formations of one-time loyalists have also begun to emerge.

Khan’s estranged ally Jahangir Khan Tareen is emerging as the rising star as a new political dispensation begins to take shape. Geo News reported on Friday citing its sources that Tareen is set to announce the formation of a new national-level “political party”.  Geo News reported citing sources on Friday.

India Narrative had earlier reported that after the lurid attacks on Pakistani military institutions on May 9, including the martyr’s memorial, a united military had decided to divide PTI into various factions, minus Imran. In engineering minus-one formula Tareen had been activated to form a strong faction comprising majority of electable Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) and Members of the Provincial Assemblies (MPAs) who can play a major role in any future set up. Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhry and Pervez Elahi will also be assigned a major role in Punjab. Pervez Khattak and Asad Qaiser will be major players in the new arrangement in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Faisal Wavda who had left PTI several months ago will play similar role in Sindh together with Ali Zaidi.

Pakistani daily News International is reporting, citing its sources that other disgruntled PTI leaders are also expected to join the new setup.

Besides, many political families from Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Muzzafargarh, Lodhran and Multan are expected to dock with Tareen.

Many “important leaders” from Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan have also got in touch with the former PTI leader. The daily said that Tareen will be patron-in-chief of the party.

Tareen was the secretary general of the PTI before he was ousted from politics in 2017 after a Supreme Court ruling.

However, in March, reports surfaced that a splinter group named “Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Nazriyati (PTIN) or Haqeeqi Tehreek-e-Insaaf (HTI)” would be established to contest elections.

Several PTI dissidents, including Raja Riaz and Awn Chaudhry met at a Iftar dinner, where Tareen came up with a new proposal, the daily said.

Interestingly, Murad Raas, former Punjab education minister who has parted ways with the PTI said on Friday said that a decision had been taken to form “a group of like-minded people who can take forward the cause of making Pakistan a better place”.

“The door is open for all, we want more like-minded people,” he said.

On Friday, the flood of desertions from PTI included 12 more leaders from Punjab, who cited that May 9 riots as the reason for exiting the party.  She claimed that the riots that followed the ex-PM’s arrest were “planned at Zaman Park,” Imran Khan’s residence.

“A conspiracy was prepared on foreign agenda and its aim was to disrespect Pakistan’s national institutions and please foreign masters,” she said.

Also Read: How a unified Pakistan military is dismantling Project Imran