Daily Times

PTI estranged leader Jahangir Tareen will meet former president and PPP supremo Asif Ali Zardari in Karachi next week and may leave the PTI to join PPP, Shehla Raza said on Tuesday.

The PPP leader said Tareen had met Makhdoom Ahmed Mahmood, following which he will meet the former president in the port city. “I think he will leave PTI and join PPP along with his aides during the meeting,” she said. “If such a thing happens, neither will Buzdar [remain in government], nor will Niazi,” she added.

However, Jahangir Tareen refuted reports of his alleged meetings with PPP leaders aimed at joining the latter in a bid to send his party’s governments in Punjab and Centre packing. “There is no truth in reports about me meeting with PPP leaders or joining the PPP,” he said. “Those running fabricated stories against me will face disappointment,” he asserted.

Tareen and his son Ali last week obtained bail orders in three different FIRs registered against them by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) over allegations of fraudulently misappropriating shareholder’s money, company’s money and committing money laundering.

Adviser to Prime Minister on Interior and Accountability Shahzad Akbar had said last week that Tareen, once considered to be the closest confidante of Imran Khan, will be prosecuted as per law, adding no one will be given an NRO.

Meanwhile, the FIA has once again summoned Tareen and his son Ali on April 9, with the former being called in for two cases, while the latter in relation to only one case. The FIA said it has sent notice to Tareen to answer charges of financial fraud and if he fails to appear in the investigation agency’s Lahore office this time, it will be considered that he has no concrete answer for the charges against him.