LAHORE — Estranged Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Tareen dispelled on Wednesday reports of a split in the ruling party, even as he maintained that PTI lawmakers from “his group” would be raising their voices in the Punjab Assembly against what he called “acts of revenge” by the provincial government.

Tareen, who was addressing media persons outside the Lahore High Court (LHC), stressed that there was no forward bloc in the PTI, but admitted that the group he was part of had existed within the party for the past three months, according to The Dawn newspaper report.

“[But] I am openly telling you that ... we all are part of the PTI and will remain so,” he asserted.

Tareen, however, alleged that the Punjab government had been exacting revenge on the members of the group, using different pressure tactics such as transfers.

“We have decided to raise (our) voice against it in the Punjab Assembly and have nominated Sardar Saeed Akbar Khan Niwani to lead this discussion in the assembly as our representative,” he added.

Recalling that Prime Minister Imran Khan had met the group and assured them that justice would be served and no revenge would be exacted, Tareen expressed confidence in the premier’s assurance.

“But the Punjab government also needs to stop [unjustified] action against our group and address our concerns,” Tareen said, reiterating that they would raise the issue in the provincial assembly as it was their constitutional right.

Tareen reiterated that there was no forward bloc in the PTI.

Reports of a split in the ruling party surfaced after Tareen, once a close friend to Prime Minister Imran Khan, announced on Tuesday the parliamentary leaders of "his group" — both in the National and the Punjab assemblies.

The announcement came at a dinner hosted by Tareen at his residence where, according to Raja Riaz, a member of the National Assembly from Faisalabad, four more MNAs and as many MPAs had joined the group. This, Raja Riaz claimed, had brought the total strength of the group close to 40.

Tareen had named Riaz the group’s parliamentary leader in the National Assembly, and Niwani in the Punjab Assembly.

Earlier Wednesday, Tareen, along with son Ali Tareen, appeared before Additional Sessions Judge Hamid Hussain, who was hearing their pleas for interim bail in cases pertaining to money laundering and fraud.

Separately, Tareen and his son appeared before a banking court at the hearing of their bail pleas in a fake bank accounts case.

On Tuesday, Twitter rallied in support of Imran Khan after a faction supporting Jahangir Khan Tareen (JKT) voiced their split within the party in retaliation to the ongoing cases against the PTI leader.

A score of PTI leaders and advocates expressed their support and voice for Prime Minister Imran Khan on Twitter. Trends like #JKTexposedHimself, #BehindYouSkipper flared up on Twitter in support of PM Imran Khan, The News reported.

“Our leader, our pride! Free from the lust for power, clinging to its principles. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is Imran Khan!,” wrote Maleeka Bokhari, PTI’s legislature, on Twitter.

Another legislature, Dewan Sachal, from Sindh denounced the JKT faction and voiced his unflinching support for PM Imran Khan and his mission. — Agencies