The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has reportedly eliminated Aleem Khan as a candidate for the Punjab chief minister post due to the ongoing National Accountability Bureau inquiries against him.
According to a local media report, PTI Chairman Imran Khan during his address to the Punjab parliamentary party meeting said that “Punjab will get a clean and honest leader. The new chief minister will be over and above petty groupings,” leaving the party MPA’s wondering who could be Imran’s nominee for the job.
Following the meeting, a party leader was quoted in the report saying that “Imran’s choice for Punjab was not visible enough and everybody was guessing about the new chief minister”.
Until a few days ago, Aleem Khan was considered the strongest candidate for the job. He is expected to appear before the bureau on Friday for his off-shore company and assets beyond his known sources of income case. Moreover, it had been reported that Khan is “making frantic efforts to get himself cleared of the off-shore company and other allegations from the bureau”.
While spirits in Aleem Khan’s camp were low, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Fawad Chaudhry, Sibtain Khan and Raja Yassir Humayun were still in the race for the top job in Punjab. They believe that they still fit in the picture being drawn by party chairman for chief minister.