LAHORE: Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar was sworn in as the 35th Governor of Punjab on Monday in a ceremony held at the Governor’s House in Lahore.
Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court, Justice Umar Ata Bandial, administered the oath of office to Sarwar.
Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif, ministers at the federal and provincial level, government officials and a number of foreign guests attended the oath-taking ceremony.
Speaking to media representatives after the swearing in ceremony, Sarwar said Pakistan was currently beset by numerous problems, adding that people would have to be united in order to find a solution.
Sarwar expressed his resolve to work with all political parties for national progress. Moreover, he assured minorities that their rights would also be protected.
Stressing on the need for education, Sarwar said there were 10 million children in the country who were deprived of this basic right. “We will endeavour to send more than one million children to school,” said a statement issued by the newly-appointed governor.
Sarwar termed poverty, terrorism, unemployment and the current energy crisis in the country as major challenges. He said he would use his experience and contacts to bring in foreign investment to Pakistan.
Sarwar who is likely to have renounced his British citizenship comes from the Faisalabad district. He was elected as Labour MP for Glasgow Govan in 1997 and served until 2010.
According to a daily, HeraldScotland, Sarwar had turned the cash-and-carry business he started with his brother into a substantial business empire, making him worth an estimated £16 million. He also played a leading role in bringing the killers of Glasgow schoolboy Kriss Donald in 2004 to justice after they fled to Pakistan, using his connections to help arrange their extradition, it said.
