Sarwar reaches out to PPP ahead of elections

Former Punjab governor has sour ties with both PML-N and PTI

LAHORE:

Amid the changing political scenario, former Punjab governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar on Monday reached out to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) after his relations with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) turned sour.

Sarwar called on former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and PPP South Punjab President Makhdoom Syed Ahmed at Makhdoom’s residence.

Both sides discussed the current political and economic situation of the country and matters of mutual interest. They agreed that everyone should play their role in bringing the country out of the economic turmoil and should contribute to its development.

Gilani said that if the establishment fulfilled its promise of not meddling in politics, it would add to the strengthening of democracy and development of the country.

“If anyone is found violating Article 6 of the Constitution of Pakistan, he will be dealt with according to the law,” he added.

The former premier said that his party was trying to take forward the mission of Benazir Bhutto.

“We made it possible to oust a prime minister [Imran Khan] through a vote of no confidence for the first time in the history of Pakistan. Joe Biden did not overthrow the PTI government but Bilawal Bhutto and Asif Zardari [did],” he remarked.

PPP South Punjab President Ahmed said that dictatorship snatches liberty at gunpoint and terrorists rights through fear.

“Benazir used to say that dictatorship and terrorism were two sides of the same coin,” he added.

Sarwar was sacked by the PTI government in April last year for allegedly playing on both sides.

PTI sources indicated that he was removed from his post at the request of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi for his alleged involvement in campaigning for Hamza Shehbaz in the election of chief minister.

Earlier, his relationship turned soured with the PML-N for criticising the foreign policy of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and subsequently, he stepped down in January 2015.

The sources disclosed that besides other reasons, Nawaz decided to remove him for censuring the Foreign Office (FO) for US President Barack Obama’s visit to India and not Pakistan, terming it a "failure" on part of the country's foreign policy.

Later in March 2018, he managed to win the Senate election from Punjab on PTI’s ticket in March 2018 after which he was sent to Punjab as governor by PTI Chairman Imran Khan in September 2018.

During his tenure, he failed to maintain cordial relations with former Punjab chief minister Usman Buzdar and PML-Q leader Elahi who was running for the chief ministership on PTI’s ticket.

On numerous occasions, outspoken Sarwar had complained about the PTI’s policy. He was a strong critique of former Buzdar.

After separating ties with the PTI, he openly criticised the senior party leadership for their choice of the chief minister.

He taunted the party chief by saying that despite having several prominent candidates, including Fawad Chaudhry, Imran Khan decided to pick Buzdar as the chief minister — as only he could move Punjab towards the goal of “Naya Pakistan”.

“All of the PTI workers — in Punjab, Pakistan — and the federal ministers complained to us whether this was the Pakistan that we wanted where the chief secretary and inspector general are changed every three months," the former governor said. He also levelled serious corruption allegations against Buzdar and PTI’s provincial leadership.