Tareen herds his ponies back
AT last Jahangir Khan Tareen has formally announced the formation of a new political party, the “Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party”, with the promise of working for economic and social reforms in the country. On the occasion of announcement of the party Tareen emphasized that in the present circumstances, when Pakistan is passing through a critical period there was the need for a new political party. In his understanding he has taken the initiative so that he could contribute to the national development from that platform.
Tareen, once a close confidant of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan had a falling out in the later years, the other day announced the new party at a news conference in Lahore with over 100 PTI defector and deserter ponies joining its ranks. Speaking alongside former PTI ponies, Aleem Khan, Ali Zaidi, Imran Ismail, Tanveer Ilyas, Aamir Kiyani, Fawad Chaudhry and others, Tareen said that they were launching the party to fulfil the teachings of Quaid-i-Azam and the dreams of Allama Iqbal.
The party would unveil its reforms agenda soon. Tareen through voters’ mandate, will introduce political, social and economic reforms. Tareen and the ponies appeared to lay the foundation of a new party ‘the Istehkam Pakistan’. Tareen made the formal announcement of his party promising that they will play their role at the forefront to rid Pakistan of this current quagmire. The IPP will be the party of the common man. “We will struggle to fulfil the teachings of Quaid-i-Azam and the dreams of Allama Iqbal. Today, Pakistan needs a leadership that ends political and social divisions and promotes love instead of hate,” Tareen added.
Tareen desires to get better results in forthcoming elections and work towards enhancing exports, especially lifting the Information Technology (IT) sector, strengthening the agricultural sector and safeguarding the rights of the masses. Tareen joined the PTI to bring all those reforms, which were needed in the country. All those ponies sitting at the news conference had also the same passion – to do something positive for the country but ended with May 9. The stakeholders worked hard so that the PTI could win the elections and implement reforms agenda. Their primary purpose was to bring reforms but unfortunately it didn’t happen and the people lost hope due to the madness of Imran Khan.
From the beginning of 2018 Imran Khan was not supposed to correct country’s crippling economy, to improve relations with the foreign world and to do accountability. Imran Khan couldn’t do anything in this regard. The politics of the last few years had also damaged the social fabric of our society and there is a dire need to correct all these misdeeds. In these circumstances, the nation desperately needed hope. Pakistanis really want to heal the wounds of this country by promoting unity, stability and tolerance. Earnest initiatives aimed at resolving the country’s multitude of problems needs to be taken. The culprits, planners and handlers of the saddest day of May 9 should be brought to justice at any cost. Those involved don’t deserve any mercy, while facing the law. The mob and perpetrators must be dealt with an iron hand.
Nearly 100 former PTI ponies of the national and provincial assemblies have joined the new party and many more would join his party in the coming days. The new comers will be heavy weights with huge vote bank in their respective constituencies. The ponies present at the announcement of the IPP included Aamir Kayani, Fayyazul Hasan Chauhan, Malik Khurram, Fawad Chaudhry, Raja Yawar Kamal, Dr Firdosh Ashiq Awan, Rana Nazir, Memon Jafar Tariq, Pir Saeedul Hasan Shah, Umair Nazir, Khalid Mahmood, Javed Anwar Awan, Mian Jalil Sharqpuri, Rai Aslam, Murad Ras, Amin Chaudhry, Shoaib Siddiqui, Mian Khalid, Sheikh Yaqub, Ajmal Cheema, Chaudhry Ali Akhtar, Chaudhry Zaheeruddin, Mian Waris, Mian Kashif, Chaudhry Ashfaq, Faisal Jabwana, Mahr Mohsin Raza, Saeed Nawani, Rashid Akbar, Malik Ameer Haider Sangha, Mian Anwar Khurshid, Dewan Akhlaq, Dewan Azmat, Mehr Arshad Kathia, Chaudhry Noraiz Shakoor, Muhammad Shah Khagha, Numan Langriyal, Mubin Bukhari, Tahseen Nawaz Gardezi, Jahanzeb Warren, Abdul Hai Dasti, Niaz Gashkuri, Rafaqat Geelani, Sardar Qaiser Magsi, Chaudhry Ishaq, Qasim Langha , Zaheeruddin Khan, Ali Zaidi, Tariq Abdullah, Shazia Abbas, Malik Akram Khan, Ejaz Janjua, Imran Parvez Dhal, Mujtaba Maitla and Nazir Baloch.
Former PTI pony Fawad Chaudhry had participated in the dinner the previous day but he made the formal announcement of joining the party next day. Another PTI pony Musarrat Cheema who had quit the PTI recently, denied joining the IPP, saying that she had taken a break from politics. Hundreds of the ponies of the PTI had parted ways with the party after the government held Imran Khan responsible for the riots that broke out across the country following his arrest in a graft case on May 9. Will the unity of the ponies at IPP platform and their collective efforts navigate Pakistan out of its current crises?
—The writer is editor, book ambassador political analyst and author of several books based in Islamabad.
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