ISLAMABAD: Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday and expressed his desire to play an active role in the federal government, besides looking after his gubernatorial duty, sources told Dawn.

The meeting was important against the backdrop of rumours which swirled thick and fast over the past month that Mr Sarwar was on his way out because of his alleged meetings with Dr Tahirul Qadri prior to the latter’s launching of a movement against the government. The governor has denied the reports.

A communiqué issued after the meeting said: “Matters related to Punjab, especially those related to the working of the federal government departments in Punjab, came under discussion during the meeting.”

Also read: Punjab governor denies differences with Sharifs

But sources said the governor was upset, rather frustrated, over his ceremonial job.

“Mr Sarwar even offered to swap his governorship if the prime minister thinks he can play a constructive role in some other position in the federal government,” a government official told Dawn. “The governor thinks he is highly underutilised,” he added.

The prime minister assured the governor that his input on government affairs would be sought regularly, but asked him to continue in his current position, the government official said.

Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar served as a member of the House of Commons from 1997 to 2010, representing the Labour party from Glasgow. He gave up his British citizenship before taking charge as Punjab governor in August last year.

When a PML-N office-bearer close to the party leadership was asked if the meeting had put an end to rumours of the removal of the governor, he said an overwhelming majority in the party was not happy with Mr Sarwar’s conduct in the Governor House.

“He acts as if he is still in the UK, doesn’t facilitate party workers like his predecessor Salman Taseer, who held regular PPP meetings in the governor house and used it as a party office. We aren’t even allowed to visit it. Of late, many in the party have openly started talking against him,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2014