PTI's Jahangir Tareen to challenge sugar crisis probe committee if held responsible

LAHORE: Jahangir Khan Tareen, a senior member of the PTI and a close friend of Prime Minister Imran Khan, on Monday vowed to challenge the committee probing the sugar and wheat crises if it held him responsible.

"I'm in constant contact with the prime minister and I stand with him," Tareen said, adding that he had provided 20,000 tonnes of sugar to utilities stores at Rs67 a kilo, saving the people Rs250 million.

"If I had not sold sugar at Rs67 a kilo, I'd have donated Rs250 million to the Prime Minister's Corona Relief Fund," he added.

Tareen said his team was fully cooperating with the investigative committee and commission, as well as the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), whose officials are probing "our staff since March 20".

However, he added: "I will challenge the committee if it holds me responsible."

Tareen removed from task force

Later in the day, former Punjab government spokesperson Shahbaz Gill announced that Tareen had been removed as the chairperson of the "task force on agriculture in light of findings of Sugar and Wheat Inquiry Report".

Tareen questioned the removal, saying on Twitter: "I was never chairman of any task force".

People should get their "facts right", he added.