Jahangir Tareen denies involvement in sugar price hike, says smear campaign is being run against him to tarnish his reputation

Senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader, Jahangir Khan Tareen, has reiterated that he has no role in the manipulation of sugar prices.

Speaking to media outside a banking court in Lahore, Tareen said that the media is rife with talks of the sugar mafia, but he has nothing to with the increase in sugar prices.

He said his name is being wrongly attributed with the notorious sugar mafia and insisted that all three FIRs lodged against him had no mention of sugar-related affairs.

“All three FIRs did not mention the rise in the price of sugar, but the FIRs picked up things relating to my business from eight to 10 years ago.”

He said an organized smear campaign was being run against him to tarnish his reputation. “My documentation is clear and transparent. I pay my income tax every year. Mine and my family's accounts are with the income tax people,” he said.

“I have not even been accused in any sugar-related case in a year-and-a-half," he said, adding that he will fight every case against him.

The PTI leader further said that he has not been to the Prime Minister House for more than a year-and-a-half, so he does not know who is doing this against him, but "someone is."

Jahangir, Ali Tareen bail extension

Earlier in the day, a banking court in Lahore extended the interim bail of the father-son duo in a money laundering case worth Rs.3.14 billion.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had sent notices to Tareens on April 14 and summoned the record of all of their businesses, including dairy farms.

Their counselor, however, contended that it was impossible to submit all the records on a day’s notice, particularly due to the law and order situation.

He told the court that his client will attend the April 19 hearing, after which, the court adjourned the hearing till May 03.