LAHORE: Amid rumours that former governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar is joining the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain rang up the former governor, who is currently in the UK, and asked him not to make any decision before meeting him.

For the last few days rumours on social media are rife, without any clarification from Chaudhry Sarwar, that he is returning to the PTI.

Since he is in Glasgow, Shujaat feared he may announce any decision from his former political bastion and rang him up to preempt any such possibility. The former British politician had served two stints as governor between 2013 to 2015 and then 2018 to 2022.

His first go at the post was facilitated by the PML-N when he returned from the UK and joined hands with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and earned the governorship.

He quit the PML-N and governorship in 2018 to join PTI, which made him a member of the Senate from March 2018 to September 2018 when he was appointed provincial governor again.

Early in 2022, he developed differences with Imran Khan and quit the PTI to join PML-Q to become its chief organiser in 2023 – a party, which is rumoured to be jilting to return to the PTI folds and a possibility that Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain tried to preempt.

Now, as elections are near and political realignments heat up, Sawar, who quite recently, had berated the leadership of first Nawaz Sharif and then Imran Khan, seems to be having second thoughts about the PTI leadership.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2023