LAHORE (DNA) – Despite of strong reservations expressed by Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi on April 1 over participation of Jahangir Khan Tareen in official government meetings, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) stalwart has attended meetings of the Punjab cabinet and PTI parliamentary party in Lahore.The meetings were chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan during his visit to Lahore.Differences between Tareen and FM Qureshi came to surface when Qureshi asked him to refrain himself from participating in the official meetings.“I would ask my brother [Tareen] to think about this: when you participate in government meetings, it gives Marriyum Aurangzeb a change to hold a presser and call into question if that is not a contempt of court?”To which Tareen via Twitter took a swipe at Qureshi, saying: “There is only one man in my life whom I consider my leader and to whom I am answerable. His name is Imran Khan.””I have stood by his side through thick and thin and will continue to do so till my last breath, IA. What others may say for their own strange reasons does not concern me,” he added, without naming Qureshi.Aurangzeb strongly criticised Tareen for briefing a federal cabinet meeting last month.However on April 2, PM Imran Khan barred both stalwarts from exchanging words with each other by trying to make them understand it was not the time for differences.PM Imran Khan had acknowleged Jahangir Tareen’s expertise in agriculture that he had briefed him on agricultural sector, and due to his experience he was assigned a task on agricultural policy whereas he had also praised Qureshi for achieving success in diplomatic frontier.According to sources, PM Imran Khan had said, “Shah Mehmood and Jahangir Tareen are senior leaders andtheir opinions are considered important.”He had asked all party members to express solidarity for overcoming challenges faced by Pakistan.Tareen was disqualified by the Supreme Court in December 2017 for mis-declaration under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution — the same provision under which former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was held ineligible for life to hold any public office over the Panama Papers leaks case.
