Former Punjab governor and loyalist of Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar formally joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday.
Speaking at an event where Sarwar was welcomed into the party, PTI Chairman Imran Khan warmly welcomed Sarwar into PTI and said he has made the “right decision at the right time” and Sarwar should now help strengthen the party along with PTI Secretary General Jahangir Tareen. He said that soon the Punjab Governor House would be converted into a public library.
While talking to journalists, the PTI general secretary said Tuesday that Sarwar had refused to assume charge as the party’s president.
“Imran Khan was ready to make Chaudhry Sarwar the party’s president but he (Sarwar) wants to join PTI as a party worker,” Tareen said.
The PTI senior leader said that the former Punjab governor would be given any party’s office in accordance with the Constitution. “It is high time that we deliberate organizing the party at grass root level while PTI’s National Council and Central Executive Committee will soon be reconstituted,” he said.
In the meanwhile, sources told Pakistan Today that Sarwar was to be appointed as the PTI president and Imran Khan had summoned the party’s Constitution Committee to restore the party office which had been disbanded after former PTI president Javed Hashmi’s exit.
However, at the eleventh hour, just before Khan’s press conference, Sarwar asked him to “delay the appointment” due to hype in media and as some party leaders had expressed reservations over the appointment, sources said, adding that Khan later asked the committee to defer the matter. They added that Sarwar would be made the party’s president or chief organiser later.