May 19, 2024

Jehangir Tareen cannot go on with PTI narrative in IPP jalsa

Capital Calling

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Makhdoom Jahanian and his cousin Fakhar Imam monopolized all exports and imports of agricultural produce. Mangoes from their fields flooded European markets.

The first power show of the Istahqam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) has proved to be a flop if we evaluate it on the basis of public participation. The party could not hold a power show in Jahanian near Khanewal. Jahanian is the stronghold of senior PTI leader Makhdoom Jahanian. He and his cousin Fakhr Imam were invincible during the previous regime.

Imam was the Minister of Agriculture in the National Assembly and Jahanian was the Minister of Agriculture in Punjab. These two cousins monopolized all exports and imports of agricultural produce. Mangoes from their fields flooded European markets. They were enjoying profits at a time when even local mango producers were facing a tough time. So it was understandable that Jahanian would give the IPP a tough chase.

But if we look at this incident in terms of narrative, we can say that IPP leader needs to reset some logs and come out of the PTI shell.
Tareen clearly pointed out in the Jalsa that for 40 years, those who took the reins of power drowned the country.

Tareen said that the people are no longer ready to trust the political parties they have tried many times. He said a new leadership will emerge in the upcoming elections, as the poor man is deprived of bread, clothes and clean drinking water. He further said that for three and a half years, PTI and one and a half years PDM went on with their loot, inflation, unemployment, unrest.
He said problems for the common man are increasing and now the same old faces are trying to come out again with a change in slogans.
Party leader Abdul Aleem Khansaid that after coming to power, 300 units of free electricity will be given to the middle class families affected by inflation. He said motorcycle riders will get petrol at half the price and farmers having up to 12.5 acres of land will be provided free tubewells on solar for agricultural purposes.
He announced that his Party would set up quality dispensaries in every union council, including remote districts, give ownership rights in slums to provide housing facilities to the poor and homeless people, while housing projects of apartment buildings would be made to provide shelter to the people in the cities.
Jahangir Tareen’s arguments were similar to those of the PTI. Imran Khan has been making such arguments for a long time. However, Aleem Khan tried to make a difference. He said that 10 years ago Jahangir Tareen and he supported the PTI so that the people of Pakistan could be freed from the traditional rule of two parties, but all those dreams were shattered. He said, “We were handed over to Buzdar after showing us the model of Shaukat Khanum. Farah Gogi fixed the rates for appointing deputy commissioners, commissioners and DPOs in Punjab and a rich province like Punjab was bankrupted.”
There is a need for IPP to step out of the PTI shadow and stand on its own.