KARACHI - The coalition government on Sunday allowed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to arrest the former finance minister Shaukat Tarin in a case related to his alleged audio leak. During an interaction with journalists in Karachi, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said the FIA was given government’s nod after completion of an inquiry against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) finance czar Shaukat Tarin, A day earlier, the investigation authority sought the interior ministry’s approval to begin legal proceedings and eventually arrest Tarin for allegedly sabotaging negotiations between Pakistan and the IMF —International Monetary Fund. The FIA has completed its probe against the former finance minister and his leaked audios involving the former Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa finance ministers.
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The federal probing authority initiated an inquiry into the matter last year after the alleged telephonic conversations between Tarin and the two provincial finance ministers surfaced that triggered a verbal spat between the government and the PTI for purportedly trying to jeopardise the IMF deal during the recent floods. During an interaction with journalists in Karachi, Sanaullah said that the government was working day and night for the development of the country. Without naming former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, the federal minister said that some politicians were taking forward their wicked agenda. Referring to the country’s severe economic crisis, Sanaullah said that Khan had signed a deal with the IMF and by following the agreement the country “has reached here”.
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Responding to a question, the PML-N senior leader said that they wanted the projects to be completed with the cooperation of China. Lashing out at the PTI chairman, he said that Khan wanted Pakistan to remain unstable, adding that the former prime minister dissolved two assemblies “forcibly”. “The PML-N does not believe in political victimisation,” the security czar said, adding that Awami Muslim League (AML) Chief Sheikh Rashid was arrested for his controversial statements. Talking about the much in debate issue of the upcoming general elections in the country, he said: “The PML-N is ready for the elections whether it is held in April or October. The country is facing multiple challenges, including economic and law and order.” The incumbent government should complete its constitutional term, he added. Moreover, the interior minister reiterated that the country’s “economic stability is linked with political stability”.
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Accusing a close friend of PTI chief Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, Sanaullah said Farhat Shehzadi, alias Farah Khan/Gogi, laundered Rs12 billion abroad. He also reiterated allegations against Khan and his wife relating to Toshakhana gifts. “For this purpose, he (Imran) also led astray a person like Shaukat Tarin who under his influence did something because of which Pakistan could’ve been hurt. “The inquiry against him (Tarin) is complete, the FIA had asked permission to arrest him which the government has given and he should be punished for it so no one ever dares to do something like this again.” He said that despite all this, the PTI chief was “unsuccessful” and an agreement between the IMF and the government was seemingly on the horizon. “Today again he indulged in a very disgusting talk which is highly condemnable and I want to clarify that Pakistan will achieved political and economic stability,” he said, referring to Imran’s televised address.
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Continuing his criticism of the PTI chief, Sanaullah termed Imran a ‘political terrorist’ and said the country would remain “safe from terrorists, including political terrorists like him”. He said there was “no possibility” of future negotiations with militants since past talks had not proved successful or yielded any results. “There is no doubt that a new wave of terrorism has arrived,” Sanaullah said, adding that law enforcement agencies and security institutions on alert. During his media talk, the interior minister also spoke about elections in the country, saying that it was the Election Commission of Pakistan’s prerogative to conduct them. In the alleged phone calls, Tarin was apparently asking Mohsin Leghari and Taimur Jhagra to do a volte-face citing provincial surplus.
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“We only wanted the provincial finance minister to write to the federal government so “pressure falls on these b******* … they’re jailing us, filing terrorism charges against us and they’re going away completely scot-free. We can’t allow this to happen,” the voice purportedly of Tarin’s is heard telling Leghari. In the same audio tape, when Leghari asks Tarin if the activity would hurt the state, the latter responds: “Well … frankly speaking, isn’t the state suffering the way they are treating your chairman and everybody else? This will definitely happen that the IMF will ask ‘where will you arrange the money from’ and they (the government) will bring another mini-budget.” Tarin says it could not be allowed “they mistreat us and we stand on one side and they blackmail us in the name of the state and ask for help and we keep helping them”. Later in the leaked conversation, Tarin tells Leghari that the mechanism of the information’s release to the public would be decided later. “We will do something so it doesn’t seem we are hurting the state but we should at least present the facts that you won’t be able to give [budget surplus] s