Nazir Chohan no longer a Tareen loyalist

Ag APP

LAHORE: Punjab Assembly lawmaker Nazir Chohan, soon after he was released on bail in a cybercrime case, announced he was parting ways with the Jahangir Tareen group of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPs, alleging he was “used” by Tareen.

Chohan, who had just been released on bail in a FIA case that was brought on the complaint of the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Accountability and Interior, Shahzad Akbar, who said Chohan’s claims on television and social media put him and his family in danger. Akbar had also filed a criminal complaint with the police, in which Chohan was granted bail on July 27. He had subsequently apologised to Akbar, and was forgiven.

Addressing a media briefing in Lahore alongside Punjab Minister for Prisons Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan, Nazir said he no longer has “any association with the Tareen group”, Geo News reported. “Jahangir Tareen used me for his case,” he alleged.

Nazir said he was “never once called” by Tareen in his hour of need, whereas he went to every court summons of Tareen’s. “I considered him my leader, but he is not fit to be called one,” Nazir said.

Nazir expressed his gratitude to the senior PTI leadership, naming Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and Shahzad Akbar in particular. “I am grateful to Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi who took a strong stance for me,” he said, adding: “Shahzad Akbar was the first to call me when I fell ill and inquired about my health.”

“I have apologised to Shahzad Akbar in no unclear terms. I am remorseful over my actions which affected him and his family,” he said. Nazir went on to state that he had “one leader and one leader alone: His name is Imran Khan.”

He said that Tareen “should be ashamed of himself for not even bothering to visit” him in the hospital. The PTI member said in this entire saga, “the faces of a lot of hypocrites have been exposed”.

Earlier in the day, a District and Sessions Court granted bail to Chohan in the cybercrime case, The court ordered the MPA to submit surety bonds of Rs100,000 to avail relief. Additional District and Sessions Judge Rashid Phularwan heard the post-arrest bail petition filed by the lawmaker.

During the proceedings, Advocates Haroon Ilyas and Farhan Iqbal represented Shahzad Akbar and recorded their statement. They stated that Akbar had forgiven the lawmaker, after he sought apology from him. “Shahzad Akbar has no objection, if the concession of post-arrest bail was given to the MPA.”

At this, the court granted post-arrest bail to the MPA and ordered for submitting surety bonds of Rs100,000 for the purpose. Earlier on Tuesday, the court issued a notice to Shahzad Akbar for August 4 and ordered that either he should appear in person to pardon the accused or send his representative for the purpose.

Chohan through his bail petition had submitted that the complainant, Shahzad Akbar, had forgiven him. He submitted that the complainant had no objection, if the concession of post-arrest bail was given to him while submitting an affidavit of the complainant in this regard.

The FIA cybercrime had registered a case against the MPA on the complaint of Shahzad Akbar under sections 11 and 20 of PECA and r/w 298, 500, 505 (c),506 of the PPC and 29 Telegraph Act.

Shahzad Akbar had accused the MPA and others of running hate speech campaigns on social media platforms against him. It is pertinent to mention here it is the second bail petition in the matter. The court had dismissed the previous bail application of the MPA.