Aleem Khan chides PM Imran Khan as political tensions rise

LAHORE: Aleem Khan, a disgruntled PTI leader and MPA from Punjab, has asked Prime Minister Imran Khan whether it would be "treacherous" if he held a meeting with an ambassador from the United States at the PTI chairman's residence. 

The disgruntled PTI leader mentioned the incident after Prime Minister Imran Khan revealed that the US official who sent the "threat letter" was Assistant Secretary of State for the South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu.

Aleem, who is a former senior provincial minister, lashed out at the former government and PTI leader for calling him a "traitor" and said it was "unfortunate" that they were resorting to maligning him.

"I have become a traitor, tell Cheema and Salik they are also traitors, they have taken the money. I have had a very difficult time from 2010 to 2018 (when PML-N was in power)," he said.

Moving on, the ex-senior minister criticised the prime minister and asked him why he did not like anyone from among the 183 MPAs in Punjab. "You nominated the person [as the chief minister] whom you used to call the biggest dacoit in Punjab," he said while referring to CM hopeful Chauhdry Pervaiz Elahi.

Berating the prime minister, Aleem said he had cases made against disgruntled PTI leader Jahangir Tareen. "Have you no shame? You sent your close aides to jail. We informed you about every corrupt practice Buzdar was involved in. But [it seems] the ones standing with you are patriots, others are traitors."

The former minister said Farah Bibi — a close aide of PM Imran Khan's wife Bushra Bibi — has left for Dubai and she was involved in taking "a lot of bribes".

Farah was involved in transfers and postings of bureaucrats in Punjab, but now she and her husband have "absconded" to Dubai, however, once such bureaucrats are arrested, everything will come to light, including where Farah transferred the money, alleged Aleem.

"I do not want to mention anything else about Imran Khan's family," he said.

The political tensions are high in the country as the National Assembly has been dissolved, while sources are saying that the same might be the fate of the Punjab Assembly.

Usman Buzdar has also resigned as the province's chief minister, while tough competition is expected between Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Hamza and Elahi as PTI's disgruntled groups of Jahangir Tareen and Aleem have decided against supporting the PML-Q leader for the office.

'Saddened'

Former special assistant to the prime minister and PTI leader Shahbaz Gill, in response to Aleem's hard-hitting press conference, said he was "saddened" after witnessing the ex-senior minister's grievances.

"I will respond to Aleem on behalf of the prime minister: You joined PTI without any ulterior motive. Aleem Khan should have expressed such reservations when he was part of the PTI."

"Aleem Khan's business interests clashed with PTI's manifesto several times," he said.