Jehangir Tareen challenges Shahbaz Gill on agri task force issue

ISLAMABAD: Questions were raised again on Monday whether Jehangir Tareen was ever officially assigned to head a task force on agriculture when an aide of Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that Tareen has been removed from the key post.

The announcement came after Tareen was named in an inquiry report about the sugar crisis in the country along with other influential figures in the ruling coalition.

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“Mr Jahangir Khan Tareen has been removed as Chairman of Task Force on Agriculture in light of findings of sugar and wheat inquiry report. Any further action may be taken after final findings of the Inquiry Committee," Gill had tweeted on Monday. 

Just five minutes later, Tareen responded angrily to the statement, “Hello, hello, news being reported that I have been removed as C’man Agri Task Force ....I was never chairman of any task force . Can anyone show me a notification with me as C’man ?? Pl get your facts right, people," he said.

Jehangir Khan Tareen, in a brief chat with some news reporters on Monday, also hinted that Azam Khan, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, has been running a campaign against him.

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He also stated that a faction in the Prime Minister House is ‘attacking him to dent his credibility’ to serve its own interests.

According to a report in The News, Azam Khan and Jehangir Khan Tareen have strained relations, and the latter has avoided visiting the Prime Minister House for quite some time.

“Azam Khan also once rudely behaved with Jehangir Khan Tareen during a telephone call when they were talking about an important political issue. As a result Jehangir Khan Tareen paused his political activities and stayed in his hometown,” the sources said.