Disqualification 2.0: Jahangir Tareen's political journey

Supreme Court has disqualified the billionaire under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution

KARACHI: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday disqualified Jahangir Tareen from holding a public office for concealing his 12-acre Hyde House property in the United Kingdom in his nomination papers before the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The Pakistani Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secretary general was disqualified under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution for deliberately giving a false statement before the Supreme Court to conceal the ownership of the £5 million worth property abroad.

The apex court, however, showed restraint to pass any direction over Tareen's leased land and allegations of him being involved in insider trading, calling the matter past and closed.

Throughout his political career, Tareen remained a controversial figure because of his opulence. He owns thousands of acres of farmland, many sugar mills and a private jet that mostly remains under party chief Imran Khan’s use.



Born in 1953, Tareen started his journey of becoming the wealthiest politician in the country with just one sugar mill in Rahim Yar Khan, which he inherited from his father-in-law Makhdoom Hasan Mehmood.

He has been criticised, from within and outside the party, for serving as the federal minister for industries during the former military ruler Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s government. His sugar mills allegedly thrived during that era.

Highlights of Tareen’s political career

2002 – Kicked off his political journey with Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) and served as a federal minister in Musharraf government

2008 – Won a National Assembly seat from Rahim Yar Khan

2011 – Planned launching the ‘party of the clean’ but joined PTI after realising ‘similarities in vision’ of Imran Khan

2013 – Lost the election on NA seat from Lodhran

2015 – Won the by-election from same seat

2017 - Disqualified from the National Assembly as lawmaker