Troubled Tareen returns to Pakistan ‘after assurance on ongoing issues’

Estranged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Jahangir Khan Tareen, whose sugar mills were allegedly involved in corrupt practices, has returned to Pakistan after spending five months in London.

Tareen, once a close confidant of PM Imran Khan, had a falling out with the prime minister and party leaders after he was named in an inquiry ordered by the PM over hike in sugar prices. The report made public by the government had named other politicians as well.

A news report claimed that Tareen took this decision to end his self-imposed exile after Imran assured him a free trial about the ongoing issues among other things.

Speaking about his return at the airport, the PTI leader said that he was staying in London for medical reasons. He also rejected the inquiry report that named him for manipulating sugar industry to make profits, saying that he was ready to face all these accusations.

Earlier this year, following the shortage of wheat flour in the country and the subsequent price hike, sugar had also gone missing from the market. Taking notice of the situation, the premier had formed a committee to find out those responsible for the crises.

The inquiry report subsequently had named PTI bigwig Tareen, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s (PML-Q) Moonis Elahi and a relative of then minister for national food security Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar as the beneficiaries of the price hike.