- Is Tareen the fall guy?
The recently released FIA (Federal Investigation Agency) report on sugar and wheat crisis goes far beyond exposing the nexus between politics and big business.
It has laid bare the developing schism between the prime minister and his right-hand man – Jahangir Tareen. He was widely considered as the man behind the throne, the fixer, trouble-shooter, the doer-all rolled into one.
JKT (as he is called by his friends) was widely acknowledged as the virtual deputy prime minister. In the process he created resentment and jalousies within the top echelons of the party who conveniently blamed him for not getting their way.
Khan also fomented this culture by putting the blame on Tareen for unpleasant or difficult decisions. Only recently Haroon Akhtar Khan-the younger brother of prime minister’s spokesperson, Humayun Akhtar Khan- who was revenue minister in the Sharif government was offered the same position by the prime minister.
It would be fair to say that JKT’s proximity to the prime minister coupled with his no holds barred abrasive style earned him few friends and quite a few enemies in the upper echelons of the PTI.
Khan while agreeing to appoint him, quipped that, “Tareen would not like this. But I will handle him.” Tareen and the Akhtar brothers are first cousins.
The honeymoon between Khan and JKT was souring for the past few months for yet inexplicable reasons. Perhaps Tareen is a victim of the old adage: kingship knows no kinship.
Tareen through the sheer size of his core business controls 22 percent of sugar production in the country. His success in business dates back to before his entry in politics. But he is not the only PTI (Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf) politician owning sugar mills.
Khusro Bakhtiar and the Akhter brothers are big sugar barons in their own right. According to PML-N (Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz) stalwart Khawaja Asif, 45 per cent sugar mill owners are from the PTI.
Khawaja deliberately papered over the fact that the sugar mills culture was introduced by the Sharifs who incidentally also manufactured sugar mills machinery at Ittefaq Foundry at that time.
But somehow the manner in which the FIA report has been presented in the media is Tareen specific. The PTI stalwart also feels the same way. Why else would he go on virtually every news outlet complaining he has been unjustifiably singled out.
First of all, is it merely sugar or sugar being used to tarnish an erstwhile trusted ally? Tareen blames the principal secretary to the prime minister Azam Khan for his travails but could the chief bureaucrat touch Tareen without a nod from the prime minister?
Perhaps Tareen stepped on too many toes. After being disqualified by the apex court in December 2017 he ceased to be a member of the National Assembly. He also resigned from secretary general of the Party the next day.
Nonetheless, through sheer tenacity and hard work, he carved a niche for himself as a technocratic trouble-shooter for the prime minister. In his recent interviews he has acknowledged that he was the brain behind goading ‘electables’ to join the PTI before the 2018 general elections.
But post-election, the PTI, unable to form a government on its own both at the federal level and In Punjab, it was Tareen who was entrusted with the task of weaving alliances and persuading independents to join the Kings party in the offing.
But of course, the whole exercise could not succeed without a little help from the powers that be. It is no secret that after a disastrous working relationship with the Sharifs, Khan was the chosen one to lead the country.
Tareen traversing the whole country on his fabled plane collecting a motely crowd of the freshly elected legislators, brought them to Islamabad for an audience with the presumptive prime minister. His house in Islamabad was the hub of activity where fence sitters were interviewed and reassured by members of the ubiquitous establishment.
In the process, he alienated the core groups of the party who naively believed that Khan really wanted to bring about a change. They felt side-lined. The prime minister had no time for such ideologues like Hamid Khan a highly respected lawyer or justice (retd) Wajihuddin. Neither had Tareen who they blamed for their woes.
Even after the PTI assumed power, Tareen assisted the prime minister in forming his team. The first problem came with performance of Asad Umar as finance minister who was Khan’s own choice.
The narrative that the PML-N was responsible for the country’s economic problems was good for public consumption and to bash the opposition. But something had to be done to fix the ailing economy.
Asad Umar was of the considered view that the country should not go for an IMF bailout but Tareen along with a few other economists thought otherwise.
Ultimately Umar was sacked and former finance minister during the Zardari era Dr. Hafeez Sheikh was ushered in. JKT did not even know Sheikh. It was Arif Naqvi of Abraj fame (now under house arrest in London for alleged fraud and embezzlement) who introduced him to the prime minister.
After a meeting with the COAS he was cleared for the job. But Asad Umar who after being in the wilderness for more than a year has bounced back, blames JKT for his removal.
Another PTI stalwart with whom Tareen does not see eye to eye is Shah Mehmood Qureshi. Hailing from Multan, Qureshi had ambitions to be the chief minister of Punjab. He, without justification, blames JKT for making him lose the provincial seat in the 2018 elections.
It would be fair to say that JKT’s proximity to the prime minister coupled with his no holds barred abrasive style earned him few friends and quite a few enemies in the upper echelons of the PTI.
So far as the FIA report is concerned there is nothing new in it.
The SRO (statutory government notification), subsidies, export rebates etc have always remained the hallmark of the Pakistani business culture. The textile industry virtually thrives on it.
So, what is the motive behind the whole exercise? Is it that Khan wants to cut JKT down to size?
But why? Is it owing to his deep ties with the milt-establishment? Ironically, Khan himself had full support of powers that be. Does this break signify that all is not too well in the state of Denmark?
Special assistant to the PM on overseas Pakistanis Syed Zulfi Bukhari has spilled the beans claiming that those who do not follow the prime minister’s vision cannot stay with him. Bukhari is no ordinary member of the prime minister’s core team; he belongs to the inner sanctum being a close family friend. He knows what he is talking about.
Tareen must have by now smelled the coffee beans. The knives are out for him. He will have to deploy his tremendous skills to make a political constituency if he wants to remain relevant in politics. Barring a miracle his party with Khan seems to be over.
