Ahmed Mukhtar Naqshbandi
ISLAMABAD: Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has completed its investigation against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Shaukat Tarin in his audio leak with Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa finance ministers.
Local media reported that the FIA had sought the approval of the interior ministry to begin legal proceedings against Mr. Tarin and eventually his detention.
According to FIA, Shaukat Tarin’s conversation was an effort to derail the deal with the IMF, and he wanted to harm the security and national interests of the country.
Audio of Shaukat Tarin
Earlier, an audio of PTI leader Shaukat Tarin surfaced in which he allegedly asked Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance Ministers to backtrack from IMF commitments to pressure the federal government.
In the audio clip, the former finance minister allegedly gave directions to the provincial finance minister to derail the International Monetary Fund deal.
In alleged audio, Shaukat Tarin said they need to backtrack from Rs750 billion commitments and tell the lender that Punjab’s commitment was pre-floods and now the province “cannot honor it.”
The PTI leader told the finance minister to draft a letter and send it to him for vetting so it could be sent to the federal government and later on to the IMF representative in Pakistan.
At Tarin’s request, Leghari asked whether Pakistan would suffer if Punjab withdrew from the deal.
“Well, frankly, isn’t the state already suffering because of how they treat your chairman [Khan] and everybody else? IMF will definitely ask them: where will you get the money from now?” Tarin responded.
He further said that the Centre is sending PTI leadership to jail and filing a terrorism case. Tarin said this could not go on further, and the party could not bear being “mistreated” and not responding. “We cannot be blackmailed.
