{"id":59262,"date":"2024-02-12T16:26:04","date_gmt":"2024-02-12T16:26:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/following-poll-routs-jahangir-tareen-jets-out-of-ipp-and-sirajul-haq-resigns-as-ji-chief\/"},"modified":"2024-02-12T16:26:04","modified_gmt":"2024-02-12T16:26:04","slug":"following-poll-routs-jahangir-tareen-jets-out-of-ipp-and-sirajul-haq-resigns-as-ji-chief","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/following-poll-routs-jahangir-tareen-jets-out-of-ipp-and-sirajul-haq-resigns-as-ji-chief\/","title":{"rendered":"Following poll routs, Jahangir Tareen jets out of IPP and Sirajul Haq resigns as JI chief"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<p>In shocking developments on Monday, Istehkam-i-Pakistan chief Jahangir Tareen announced his decision to quit politics altogether while Sirajul Haq resigned as the emir of Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) following their parties\u2019 dismal performances in the general elections.<\/p>\n<p>In a post on social media platform X, Tareen said he wanted to thank his supporters and congratulate his opponents in the general elections.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have immense respect for the will of the people of Pakistan. Therefore, I have decided to resign from my position as chairman IPP and step away from politics altogether,\u201d he said, expressing his gratitude to his party members and wishing them well.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI will continue to serve my country to the best of my ability in a private capacity. May the next few years see Pakistan prosper,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Shortly after, Haq posted on X that he had \u201caccepted the responsibility for defeat\u201d in the elections.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"media  sm:w-1\/2  w-full  media--right  media--embed  media--uneven\">\n<p>    <iframe class=\"nk-iframe\" onload=\"setInterval(()=&gt;{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)\" width=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"height:400px;position:relative\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/card\/1812695\" sandbox=\"allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Tareen took a big electoral beating in Multan against PTI-backed Malik Aamir Dogar in the February 8 general elections. The former PTI leader managed only 50,166 votes compared to Dogar\u2019s 143,613.<\/p>\n<p>He even lost in his hometown of Lodhran in the NA-155 constituency, managing 71,128 votes against PML-N\u2019s Khan Mohammad Siddiqui with 117,671 votes.<\/p>\n<p>Haq, meanwhile, contested in Lower Dir\u2019s NA-6 and managed 56,538 votes against PTI-backed Mohd Bashir Khan, who garnered 81,060 votes.<\/p>\n<p>The parties showed dismal performances in the polls with two seats for the IPP in the National Assembly and none for the JI.<\/p>\n<p>IPP President Aleem Khan said he was \u201cdeeply saddened\u201d by Tareen\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"political-history\" href=\"#political-history\" class=\"heading-permalink\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Permalink\"\/>Political history<\/h2>\n<p>Tareen is known as one of the <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link--external\" href=\"https:\/\/herald.dawn.com\/news\/1153569\">wealthiest men in politics<\/a>, owning thousands of acres of farmland, a private plane and running some of the largest sugar mills in the country.<\/p>\n<p>Tareen had forayed into politics in 2002 when he was elected to the National Assembly on a Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) ticket. The Forman Christian College alumnus had served as an adviser to former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi on agriculture and social sector initiatives.<\/p>\n<p>In 2004, he was inducted into the federal cabinet and served as a minister with the portfolio of industries, production and special initiatives under former military dictator Pervez Musharraf. Unsurprisingly, his sugar mills flourished under his tenure as minister for industries.<\/p>\n<p>In the 2008 elections, Tareen was re-elected as a member of the National Assembly for the second time from NA-195, this time on a PML-Functional ticket. But by late 2011, Tareen \u2014 who had initially <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/643557\/tareen-to-launch-party-of-the-clean-in-september\">planned<\/a> on forming his own party of \u2018clean politicians\u2019 \u2014 had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/681706\">joined<\/a> Imran Khan\u2019s PTI, saying that his vision was similar to that of the cricketer-cum-politician.<\/p>\n<p>Two years later, Tareen contested \u2014 and lost \u2014 the 2013 general elections from a seat in Lodhran, a place he had heavily invested in in terms of business, charity and development. In the 2015 by-elections, Tareen was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1228329\">re-elected<\/a> as an MNA for a third time from NA-154 on a PTI ticket.<\/p>\n<p>In 2017, Tareen \u2014 who was at this point the PTI secretary general \u2014 was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1376766\">disqualified<\/a> for life by the Supreme Court for being \u201cdishonest\u201d about his finances. He was found guilty under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution, the same article under which then-premier Nawaz Sharif was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1348191\">disqualified<\/a> for life in July the same year.<\/p>\n<p>After the verdict, Tareen had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1376972\">resigned<\/a> as the PTI secretary general but very much remained a part of the party. His influence was evident when, despite being disqualified, he gave a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1470610\">detailed briefing<\/a> on agriculture to the PTI government\u2019s federal cabinet in 2018.<\/p>\n<p>But in 2020, Tareen was one of several bigwigs <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1558734\">named<\/a> in a sugar inquiry commission \u2014 formed on the directives of then-premier Imran to probe the rise in the price of the commodity. It was the subsequent investigation into the sugar scam which led to the souring of his relationship with Imran.<\/p>\n<p>That year Tareen departed for London for about five months, while the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) sought details of his assets in Pakistan and abroad, his bank transactions, especially his transfer of money abroad.<\/p>\n<p>In 2021, the FIA formally <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1615646\">booked<\/a> Tareen and his son Ali Tareen for fraud and money laundering \u2014 a charge he vociferously denied. The same year, Tareen <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1624364\/tareen-loyalists-form-group-in-na-punjab-assembly\">formalised the split<\/a> in the ruling PTI when he announced parliamentary leaders of \u201chis group\u201d \u2014 both in the national and the Punjab assemblies.<\/p>\n<p>Even though the PTI <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1625086\">insisted<\/a> that the party and members of the JKT group would move forward as one, Tareen had started raising his voice against the government\u2019s policies. He also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1651626\">publicly admitted<\/a> that he had played a key role in the formation of the party\u2019s government in Punjab by using his aircraft to approach independents who had won in different constituencies of the province.<\/p>\n<p>In 2022, the JKT group <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1682626\">took centre stage<\/a> in the politics of Punjab as both the PTI government and the opposition urged the group to play a decisive role in the formation of the provincial government. At this point, then-Punjab chief minister Usman Buzdar had resigned in favour of Elahi as Imran tried to wrangle up enough support to survive the no-confidence motion brought against him by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).<\/p>\n<p>Soon after, Abdul Aleem Khan \u2014 a former Punjab minister and Imran\u2019s close aide \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1678767\">announced<\/a> that he would be joining the JKT group, lamenting the sidelining of PTI loyalists. In April 2022, the JKT group joined hands with the PDM to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1684296\">oust Imran as prime minister<\/a> through a no-confidence motion.<\/p>\n<p>A month after the violent events of May 9, 2023 \u2014 when protests broke out in the country following Imran\u2019s arrest \u2014 Tareen <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1758765https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1758765\">launched<\/a> his new political party, the IPP, with old faces. The party was formed following a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1744595\">proposition<\/a> floated by the powers that be to set up a \u2018parallel\u2019 PTI to contain Imran\u2019s party ahead of the general elections. Tareen was made the IPP\u2019s patron-in-chief while Aleem was made the party president.<\/p>\n<p>After the PDM government\u2019s tenure ended in August 2023, JKT group stalwarts such as Aleem and Awn Chaudhry maintained close ties with PML-N\u2019s Sharifs, including visits to London and personal interactions in Pakistan.<\/p>\n<p>By October, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1779533\">officially registered<\/a> the IPP, paving the way for the party to contest elections. The same month, the IPP held a maiden public rally in Lahore where Tareen said some in the PTI had worked tirelessly to follow a dream of making \u2018Naya Pakistan\u2019 but could not do so as the party gradually replaced its original team after assuming power and individuals who were unaware of the party\u2019s vision took the helm.<\/p>\n<p>In January, the Supreme Court <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1804198\">quashed<\/a> lifetime disqualification for lawmakers under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution, paving the way for Tareen to contest the general elections.<\/p>\n<p>He formally launched his party\u2019s election campaign on January 15, pledging to address the issues faced by voters and expressing the desire to steer the country towards prosperity.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Haq\u2019s net worth has frequently ranked among the smallest, with him <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1415658\">declaring<\/a> assets worth a mere Rs2.9 million in his nomination papers in 2018. Two years later, in his annual financial statement submitted to the ECP, he reported owning 12 kanals of inherited land and a business worth Rs361,000 to go with Rs600,000 in his bank account.<\/p>\n<p>During the 2018 elections, Haq <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1423082\">lost his stronghold<\/a> in both Upper and Lower Dir to the PTI. Except Inayatullah Khan, all the JI candidates, including Haq, were defeated by PTI candidates in both districts.<\/p>\n<p>In the NA-7 constituency, Haq faced a crushing defeat at the hand of PTI\u2019s Bashir Khan, who garnered 63,017 votes compared to the JI chief\u2019s 46,040. The JI had disputed the results.<\/p>\n<p>In April 2023, Haq <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1747874\">launched<\/a> a \u201cconsensus offensive\u201d and held meetings with then-prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and Imran to bring an end to the impasse between both sides on the issue of elections.<\/p>\n<p>The past 12 months have been rough for the JI, which was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1759982\">unable<\/a> to get its Karachi mayoral candidate (Hafiz Naeemur Rehman) elected following local government elections despite enjoying a numerical advantage on paper after securing PTI\u2019s backing.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In shocking developments on Monday, Istehkam-i-Pakistan chief Jahangir Tareen announced his decision to quit politics altogether while Sirajul Haq resigned as the emir of Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) following their parties\u2019 dismal performances in the general elections. In a post on social media platform X, Tareen said he wanted to thank his supporters and congratulate his opponents [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":59263,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.dawn.com\/large\/2024\/02\/12174449239d101.jpg?r=175938","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-59262","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-news"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59262","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59262"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59262\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59263"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59262"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59262"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59262"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}