OKARA: Governor Chaudhry Sarwar has urged Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) workers to get ready for local government (LG) elections which are going to be held soon.

He said the country had already undergone a sea of change. He, however, hurried to say that no changes were expected in governor and chief minister houses.

Mr Chaudhry said this in a media talk on Saturday at the residence of PTI leader and former provincial minister Ashraf Sohna.

The governor denied the reports that Prime Minister Imran Khan avoided him in recent days, calling it a fake news. He also denied President Dr Arif Alvi ever asked him to resign.

He also clarified PTI leader Jhangir Tareen could not attend a dinner at Governor House for he was in Islamabad on the occasion, and that the dinner was arranged only for PTI ticket-holders.

Mr Sarwar said the PTI government had no conflict with its coalition partner PML-Q at any level.

Earlier, the governor visited the Tayyab Saeed Shaheed police lines on Faisalabad Road where he inaugurated a water filteration plant, installed by the Sarwar Foundation.

Later, he visited PTI ticket holder Chaudhry Muhammad Salim Sadiq and addressed a gathering of PTI workers.

On the other hand, Mr Sohna said in the presence of the governor PTI ranks in the city had deep differences since the 2018 general elections over tickets.

Mr Sohna said he with his group members Chaudhry Azhar Mahmood and Rao Khalid Mustafa Khan was ready to end conflicts within the part as it was very important for LG electioneering or the PTI would repeat the July 2018 elections episode. Presently, the PTI has no National Assembly from the district.

The governor appreciated Mr Sohna’s gesture and said he would talk to PTI provincial leaders, including Saifullah Khan Niazi, Arshad Dad and Ijaz Chaudhry for further steps.

PTI women wing district president Shazia Ahmad also spoke.

The governor was only scheduled to visit the police lines and Mr Sadiq but Mr Sohna also managed to host him at his residence in the city.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2019