Sarwar says no hurdle in PDM long march

LAHORE: Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar Friday said if the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) would hold a long march, the government would not create any hurdle in it.

However, he warned, the opposition alliance would not gain anything from it.

He said the PDM was facing visible divisions in its ranks, as every party was trying to safeguard its political and personal interests. “No matter how hard they try, they will have to come to the negotiating table,” he said, while talking to the media at Governor’s House after meeting different delegations here.

The governor welcomed the opposition parties’ decision to take part in the Senate and by-elections. He said the country was facing many challenges including inflation, and the government was using all its resources to tackle them.

He said Maulana Fazlur Rehman had already staged a long march from Karachi to Islamabad, and the PTI government had not created any hurdle in it. “If the PDM wants to hold a long march, we have no objection. But I don't see the PDM organising any long or a million march in the coming days,” the governor added.

He advised the opposition to adopt the course of negotiations with the government instead of holding protests, as the issues could only be resolved through dialogue. He said the people had given the PTI mandate for five years, and therefore the general election would be held in 2023. The Punjab governor said the PTI government had given Insaf health cards for provision of treatment facilities to the poor people. Through these cards, any poor person could avail free treatment facilities worth over Rs700,000. He said the Punjab Aab-e-Pak Authority had started work for provision of safe drinking water to the people of Punjab, and it would fulfil its promise soon.

Meanwhile, Governor Mohammad Sarwar, in his capacity as the chancellor of universities, approved several summaries about new appointments and affairs of the universities in the province. He gave the additional charge of controller examinations to Prof Dr Farzana Rashid, a Zoology professor at the Lahore College for Women University (LCWU), whereas Prof Dr Muhammad Inayatullah Khan, vice-chancellor, University of Engineering and Technology Taxila, was nominated as a member of the Rawalpindi Women's University syndicate.

Also, the governor gave the additional charge of Registrar office to Ghulam Ghous, who’s an assistant professor of the Department of History and Pakistan Studies, Government College University of Faisalabad. The charge of Registrar office has been given to Dr Shaukat Ali, additional registrar, the Government College University (GCU).

The governor gave the additional charge of the post of registrar to Dr Zainab Jahan of Fatima Jinnah Women University. Earlier, Dr Zainab Jahan was serving as an assistant professor in the Department of Economics at the university. In addition, Dr Fayyaz Hussain of the university has been given the additional charge of treasurer.

The governor also approved giving supervisory charge of controller examinations to Shahzad Ahmed, the additional controller examinations, Government College University.

The governor also condoled with the family of former caretaker chief minister Mian Afzal Hayat, and met party workers at the residence of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Raja Asad Iqbal. Political Secretary to Governor Punjab Mian Kashif Iqbal and focal person for Punjab Prisons Minister Mian Anas Aslam Dhola were also present.