New Governor Punjab Sarwar’s role widely praised in Britain

LONDON: Britain’s first Muslim parliamentarian Mohammad Sarwar's, recently appointed as the Governor of Punjab, has been widely hailed in Britain’s media, mainstream political circles and within the British-Pakistani community.

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Senior Minister of State at the Foreign Office and Minister for Faith & Communities congratulated Sarwar on his appointment and wished him luck.

Warsi told The News: “I know Mohammad Sarwar will rise to the challenges of the role and he will also help in building upon the strong relationship between the UK and Pakistan.”

Former British prime minister, now UN Special Envoy for Global Education hailed the appointment as a "great day for education" in Pakistan and vowed to work with his former Labour Party colleague.

The former Labour leader said: "Mohammad Sarwar's appointment will be widely welcomed across the world, especially in Britain and Pakistan. His career in public life has been distinguished by his long-term commitment to social justice. He will now be able to make his mark in Punjab province, home to 100 million people.”

Sarwar said it is an honour to be "invited to serve the country of my birth and the people of Pakistan" and that he was not naive about the challenges ahead. "This is a big job but it is one I will approach with the same values and principles I have stood up for all my life: to help lift people out of poverty and support them to fulfill their life chances. I believe the best route to meet that goal is through education and I look forward working with a dynamic chief minister, many friends and colleagues across Pakistan and the world to achieve that.''

Shahid Malik, who under Gordon Brown served as International Development Minister and Justice Minister, gave a very favorable view of the likely contribution that Mohammed Sarwar can make to Pakistan.

Malik told The News: “At a time when most people are willing to give up their Pakistan passports to come to the UK, we have an individual who is willing to give up his British passport to go to Pakistan and to play a role in its development .”

Faiz Rasool, Chairman and Founder of Labour Friends of Pakistan said: “Sarwar has the integrity, skills, experience, tenacity and vision to make a real difference to the lives of people in Pakistan. Governor Sarwar will be a bridge between Pakistan and the UK and we look forward to working with the Government of Pakistan to build stronger and deeper ties across trade, education, health, culture and tourism.”

Mohammad Sarwar, who left the UK parliament in 2010, played a prominent role during May 11 elections and campaigned alongside Nawaz Sharif in several constituencies. His son Anas Sarwar is Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party and Member of Parliament for Glasgow Central.

Anas told The News: "This is a proud moment for him and our family. There's a mix of happiness and sadness, sadness that my father will be leaving us in Scotland and starting a new chapter of his life in Pakistan, but a greater happiness because I know how much he is relishing the challenge of going back to the place of his birth to make a difference. His mind and body may have been in Britain but his heart has always remained in Pakistan."

Many newspapers including The Telegraph and TV channels including BBC carried the news of Sarwar’s appointment because of his profile in the Labour party and the high-profile controversies.

"I can be a bridge between overseas Pakistanis and Pakistanis here, and work for the betterment of both," the Reuters quoted Sarwar as saying.