The Punjab government has said that disgruntled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Tareen is an important pillar of the party and had worked hard to form the government of Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar.

Speaking to Geo News, Special Assistant to Punjab CM Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan had come to power on the manifesto of the supremacy of law and a corruption-free Pakistan.

Awan, while responding to a question on accountability, said all those PTI leaders and ministers who were accused of corruption had returned to their positions after getting themselves cleared from the charges.

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The spokesperson dismissed media reports claiming that the government is taking revengeful action against Tareen.

Tareen is facing charges of corruption in the sugar scandal and multiple cases have been filed against him.

Amid his ordeal, reports had claimed the sugar baron was defecting to rival Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

While the claims have been rubbished, any truth to the same could serve a severe blow to the ruling PTI, especially in Punjab where Buzdar is in power owing to the support of a number of loyal-to-Tareen MPAs.

The PTI leader, after appearing in court on Wednesday, had said that his loyalty to PM Imran was being tested, but that he is not parting ways with the PTI.

While responding to a question, Awan said that Tareen would never take a step that would harm PTI and that he had played an important role in forming the Buzdar government and taking forward the policies of the PTI government.

“Jahangir Tareen will never want to see PTI getting weak on the political front. In pursuance of PM Khan’s mission he was active as a soldier,” she added.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government has reportedly prepared a list of the PTI members who were in contact with Jahangir Khan Tareen.

CM Buzdar is set to hand over the list to the premier, which would be followed by a final decision on said lawmakers’ fate.

Tareen loyalists maintain that he also played a major role in securing PM Imran the recent vote of confidence and without his support, the government is struggling owing to a thin majority in Punjab.