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Thursday March 28, 2024

No tussle between PTI, PML-Q: Sarwar

By Our Correspondent
January 24, 2019

LAHORE: Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar has said that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Pakistan Muslim League-Q have been in alignment before the 2018 general elections and there exists complete harmony between the two allies.

Talking to reporters at Governor’s House on Wednesday, Chaudhry Sarwar stated that difference of opinion was a part of political culture but there was no tussle between the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Pakistan Muslim League-Q.

He stated the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Pakistan Muslim League-Q were election allies which contested the 2018 general elections together. Responding to a question about the prevailing economic challenges, the Punjab governor said that Prime Minister Imran Khan must be credited for saving Pakistan from default.

He said that the government hadn’t accepted any demand of IMF so far and the assistance from Saudi Arabia and UAE had proved vital for the country. Muhammad Sarwar, who also played a vital role in Pakistan’s access to the European market in his previous tenure as Punjab governor, said that GST-Plus status was a remarkable achievement for Pakistan which gave a benefit of $15b to the nation.

He claimed this benefit would be doubled. He said the business people and investors wanted an environment conducive to business and the government was making sincere efforts in this regard.

He stated that the devaluation of rupee was also a reason which shattered the confidence of the nation but the situation would improve in the coming days. Terming Kartapur corridor ground-breaking a historic breakthrough, he said it had been greatly welcomed by the Sikh community living in India and other parts of the world.

He said, in his recent tour of Britain, the members of the Sikh community greatly lauded this step by the Pakistani government. Sarwar also claimed that Kartarpur corridor would open doors to prosperity in the region and business people from the Sikh community of India also wanted to invest in different sectors in Pakistan but the response from the Indian government so far had been quite disappointing.

He added that during his meeting with the members of Sikh community, its members conveyed their demands concerning extension of the visa duration and others. Responding to a question regarding a proposed water authority project that is to be headed by the Punjab governor, he stated that his role would be that of a patron-in-chief and everything the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government would do everything in accordance with the law.

Regarding the objections of opposition to him for heading water related projects, he said that this was purely an issue related to humanity and it must not be made controversial.

He said that under the banner of Sarwar Foundation, water filtration plants were being installed in different parts of Punjab and claimed that by the next five years, entire population of the province would have access to potable water. He stated that currently, the quality of water being provided to the citizens was deplorable and due to which a large population was suffering from water-borne diseases.

Regarding the Sahiwal incident, he said that it wouldn’t be fair to blame the chief minister for it. He said the elements behind the incident wouldn’t be spared.