‘I couldn’t be elected even a councillor’, How I could make anyone premier, says Sarwar

LAHORE: Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar said on Sunday that he could not be elected as a councillor, how he could make anyone prime minister.

He said the people, party and political struggle of 22 years aided Imran Khan to become the prime minister of the country and it was not he who helped him achieve the glory. Talking to the media during the inauguration of 20 water filtration plants under the Punjab Aab-e-Pak Authority (PAPA) here at the Governor’s House, he said only one person could not help someone to be elected MNA, let alone prime minister of the country, adding that Pakistan was a democracy where representatives were elected through the power of vote.

“I am proud of being part of the struggle of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) for real democracy and mobilising workers allover Punjab,” he responded, adding that PTI won general elections 2018 and Imran Khan became Prime Minister as a result. He further clarified that he didn't claim to have helped Benzir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif become prime minister of the country, adding that he never asserted so.

Disassociating himself from another news item attributed to him, Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, in response to a query, said that his statement regarding extension in tenure of the Army Chief had nothing to do with reality, urging all political parties to keep the armed forces away from politics.

The governor said that armed forces were fighting the war against terrorism and they had full support of the 220 million Pakistanis, adding, “We will defeat our enemies on every front.”

To a question, Sarwar said strengthening the democratic system was collective responsibility of all political and religious parties in the country, adding that PTI had strengthened all institutions including Parliament and strength of Parliament lies in a strong democracy.

Regarding Punjab Aab-e-Pak Authority (PAPA), Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, who is patron of the authority, said more than 1200 projects of Punjab Aab-e-Pak Authority would be completed by March 2022, adding that clean drinking would be available to 150 million people in the province with the support of NGOs.