Jehangir Tareen resigns as PTI secretary general, vows to continue struggle as PTI worker
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ISLAMABAD:Jahangir Tareen resigned as the secretary general of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) following his disqualification by the Supreme Court a day earlier.
The PTI Chairman Imran Khan was cleared while Tareen had to face the axe by the Supreme Court on Friday (yesterday) when the court announced its verdict in the disqualification case against the two leaders.
In a statement shared on Twitter, Tareen said he will remain part of the "struggle", adding that he hopes to see Imran as the "Pakistan's next PM ,IA".
Earlier, Imran called on Tareen at his residence.
A high-level party huddle is also expected at Imran's Bani Gala residence today to discuss the future course of action following Tareen's disqualification.
The party's legal team will brief leaders on the details of the Supreme Court judgment, shared sources.
Sources said Tareen decided to step down from the party post during his meetings with PTI members. PTI MNA from Islamabad, Asad Umar, remains a strong contender to replace Tareen, sources added.
Earlier in the day, PTI spokesman Fawad Chaudhry had said that Imran directed Tareen to continue performing duties as the secretary general of the party.
The Supreme Court, in its judgment on Friday, ruled that Tareen cannot be termed honest and stands disqualified for life as per Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution. It also said the PTI leader used suspicious terms in his statements to the court, besides not declaring his offshore company.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar, who headed the three-member Supreme Court bench hearing the case, ruled that Imran is not disqualified as a parliamentarian as the petitioner was not directly affected in the foreign funding case.
The court also ruled that the ECP will impartially investigate the foreign funding claims against the PTI chief by scrutinising accounts up till five years ago.