LAHORE: The Jahangir Tareen group held another huddle here on Tuesday against the advice of those close to the premier and pledged to seek ‘relief’ for their leader (Tareen).

Punjab minister Ajmal Cheema hosted a dinner for the Tareen group at a farmhouse on Bedian Road on Tuesday to give a “message to the premier that they are united to achieve their goal – a clean chit for Mr Tareen”.

Over 20 PTI lawmakers and Mr Tareen attended the feast.

A member of the group told Dawn after the meeting that they would continue holding such huddles to ‘make them relevant’.

“Although our concerns related to funds for development works and transfer and posting (of officials in our constituencies) have been addressed by the Buzdar administration, our main issue is to secure a clean chit for our leader (Tareen),” said the member.

“We have been given assurance in this respect too but till he gets the relief we will not release the pressure on the government and such a gathering will continue.”

The rebel group held the meeting days before the FIA’s filing of a ‘complete’ investigation report before the court in Tareen and his son Ali Tareen’s cases.

Both the father and the son are on pre-arrest bail in the FIA cases till May 31.

Barrister Zafar had been tasked by PM Khan with overseeing the sugar scam probe last month. Although Barrister Zafar says he has yet to submit his analysis of the FIA probe in the Tareen case to the premier, there are reports that he has already presented it to the premier.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2021