The unlikely captain

A newly-elected Member of the Punjab Assembly (MPA) was excited after receiving a call saying the party chief wanted to see him at his hilltop residence in Islamabad. The lawmaker — elected to the assembly for the first time in the 2018 elections – was a new entrant in the party.

All the way there, the MPA kept guessing about the purpose of the meeting, because he had been given no clue as to why he had been summoned. He knew the party chief was holding meetings to finalise the names of his federal and provincial cabinets from the areas his party had won a majority.

According to a source, the party chief sat with the lawmaker for nearly two hours and then the guest had a couple of hour-long meetings with officials of the security agencies. By that time, the new entrant assumed that the party chief had picked him as one of the advisors in the Punjab, and that’s why he was being scrutinised. After these meetings, having been told nothing concrete regarding his position yet, the MPA returned to the Punjab. This was August 12, 2018, and the MPA was Sardar Usman Buzdar.

According to another source, when in Islamabad, Usman Buzdar had also approached assembly staff requesting accommodation at the MPA hostel, which did not have the capacity to accommodate all the 371 lawmakers of the provincial assembly.

On August 15, three days after the meetings in the capital, Usman Buzdar was informed from Islamabad that he should be ready to file nomination papers for the Punjab Chief Minister’s slot.

Even then, Buzdar did not know he was the PTI’s main candidate for the largest and most populous province of the country. He thought he was just the covering candidate. Because until then, PM-elect Imran Khan was holding the names of individuals for the key posts close to his chest.

On August 17, 2018, a day before the election of the Chief Minister Punjab, Imran Khan announced that Usman Buzdar would be the PTI’s candidate for this post.

In a video message shared through his Twitter account, Khan said, “I have nominated Sardar Usman as Punjab Chief Minister. He belongs to an area of Punjab that is the most backward. People there have no water or electricity or hospitals…The special thing about Sardar Usman is that he is well acquainted with how people live in those areas, and secondly, he is aware of how the poor lead their lives.”

He continued, “He is the only MPA to not have electricity at his home. I am confident that he will work brilliantly to bring to fruition our vision, which aims at uplifting the lower sections of society and the backward areas of Pakistan.” Usman Buzdar was elected as CM Punjab on August 19, 2018, securing 186 votes against his PML-N rival Hamza Shahbaz’s 159.

Several aspiring candidates within PTI were vying for the coveted post of CM Punjab. Among those were PTI Vice Chairman, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Abdul Aleem Khan, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Mian Mehmood-ul-Rasheed, Sibtain Khan, Hasnain Bahadur Dareshak, etc. After losing the provincial assembly seat, Shah Mehmood Qureshi was automatically out of the race for CM Punjab, while Jehangir Tareen was disqualified by the country’s top court. The remaining candidates then started earnestly lobbying through their respective groups for the CM’s slot.

The party was thus caught by surprise when Imran Khan nominated Usman Buzdar as the Chief Minister. His nomination engendered a strong negative reaction within PTI ranks as many leaders expressed displeasure over Khan’s decision to select a hitherto rank outsider for the top slot in the Punjab. Many said that the party chairman failed to consider the sacrifices rendered by the party’s all-time loyalists who had stood by him through thick and thin. But eventually the dust settled, and the party complied with their leader’s choice.

A source close to PM Khan told Bol News that Buzdar was not the first choice for Punjab CM. In July 2018, Imran Khan had chosen Yasir Humayun as PTI candidate for this post, but as soon as a case emerged against him for selling prohibited medicines at his pharmacy, Imran Khan dropped his name.

Later, the PTI chairman interviewed five PTI MPAs to choose one of them as CM. Among those were Hashim Jawan Bakht, Dost Muhammad Mazari, Sahib Zada Muhammad Gazain Abbasi, Hasnain Bahadar Dreshak and Usman Buzdar.

Following these interviews, Khan reportedly gave the go-ahead to Hashim Jawan Bakht, the younger brother of Federal Minister Khusro Bakhtiar for the CM’s slot. Surprisingly, the elder Khusro refused to allow his brother to accept the post. Sources claimed that Khusro told the PTI chairman that his family had close business relations and partnerships with several political families, including Jahangir Tareen, the Choudharys of Gujrat, etc, so it would be difficult for them to accommodate their partners if his brother were to be Punjab’s top gun.

According to these sources, the mother and wife of Hashim Jawan Bakht went to PM Khan and informed him of the family’s decision to refuse the post. Hashim Jawan Bakht did not respond to Bol News queries in this regard.

One of the sources disclosed that then, “The next three in line were ignored after security agencies didn’t clear their names.” Hence the only candidate left among the shortlisted was Buzdar, and Hashim Jawan Bakhat was made Punjab Finance Minister.

Some say Buzdar was chosen for different reasons. Among these that he was the candidate favoured by PM Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi. The premier was reportedly told by his wife to pick a man whose name began with the Urdu letter ‘aeen,’ and there were only two people elected to the provincial assembly in 2018 whose name started with that letter.

Others say the premier had chosen Buzdar as CM Punjab knowing certain facts about various pressure groups within the PTI in Punjab. The PM wanted a neutral candidate so he would not be blackmailed by the party’s financiers or loyality claimers.

Others believe Buzdar was chosen because he was ineffective and would thereby it was understood, be compliant with the centre. Unlike his other major rivals for this job, Buzdar lacks an independent power base which makes it easier for Imran Khan to control him and the largest province.

Within the PTI, meanwhile, Buzdar was considered a ‘weak candidate’ and party insiders maintained his nomination had had led to the suspicion that someone else, perhaps Jehangir Khan Tareen, would actually run the affairs of the Punjab while remaining in the background.

It would not have been the first time a party leader had tried to control Punjab remotely. In the 1970s, former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had changed four chief ministers in Punjab, including Ghulam Mustafa Khar, Hanif Ramay, Sadiq Hussain Qureshi and Malik Meraj Khalid. Bhutto kept changing them so that none of them could grow ambitions to challenge his authority.

Some in the PTI also see Buzdar’s candidature as a ploy to draw the shutters on the chapter of creating a South Punjab province. The PTI had endorsed the demand for the creation of such a province in a bid to woo the electables from South Punjab who had formed the Janoobi Punjab Sooba Mahaz (JPSM) on the sole agenda of the creation of a new ‘South Punjab’ province.

Meanwhile, Buzdar’s candidature was a blessing in disguise for the Choudharys of Gujrat. Speaker Punjab Assembly, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi always expressed his support for Buzdar whenever any campaign to remove him was launched — for obvious reasons. Having a weak CM allowed Elahi the space to operate in his own interest in the Punjab.

It is surprising that Imran Khan did not groom anyone from his party for the job of Punjab Chief Minister, that over the years his party did not promote any specific candidate who would replace Shahbaz during its campaign for power in 2013 and 2018.

According to a source, it is after almost 45 years that the province has a chief minister from South Punjab, and the first who does not have any links with the urban industrial business community and the middle class from Central Punjab.

Talking to Bol News, senior journalist Syed Mayed Ali said nominating Usman Buzdar was a deliberate choice for Imran Khan, as he wanted a weak man to run the affairs of the province. He contended that Imran Khan smartly removed ambitious candidates from the scene to plant a handpicked Buzdar in the CM’s position, so he could freely run the province even while sitting in the federal capital. One of Buzdar’s aides lent credence to this, saying, “The PM himself chairs the Punjab cabinet’s fortnightly meetings, and reshuffles key government officials, including the IG Police and Chief Secretary of the province.”

Another close aide of Usman Buzdar told Bol News that he is no different to Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Ghulam Haider Wyne, as he has the same qualities they had when they were in the office as CMs. He said Buzdar has been as compliant as expected when he was chosen by the party chief. He added that “I can assure you that Buzdar isn’t a corrupt CM, but he is not a hardworking man, and never has been. He would never run around to perform the endless official duties required for the post like his predecessor Shahbaz Sharif did.” He continued that Buzdar doesn’t appear to realise that he is the CM Punjab. “Buzdar and Punjab are being controlled and run from the Prime Minister’s Office. I concede that Buzdar is weak and incompetent.”

Continuing, the aide disclosed that early on in his tenure as CM, the bureaucracy in Punjab which had served under Parvez Elahi [2002-2007] and Shahbaz Sharif [2008-2018] tried to resist every order issued by Buzdar. This forced the PM to order a massive reshuffle in the bureaucracy to enable him to run the affairs of the largest province smoothly. “Whoever created problems for Buzdar in running the affairs of the Punjab was removed by the PM himself,” he said.

And so firm is Khan about retaining Buzdar that the PM reportedly didn’t even heed advice from the military establishment to change Buzdar with someone more active to fix governance, and the administrative and financial problems in Punjab.

That notwithstanding, Usman Buzdar’s journey as CM Punjab has so far been quite a roller coaster. Several controversies have surfaced which have sometimes led to a near-downfall-like situation for him, but he has survived each time.

The first controversy emerged over a transfer of the DPO Pakpattan, Rizwan Gondal, when he couldn’t entertain an unelected but influential family of the district. The Supreme Court intervened and Buzdar had to seek an apology for transferring the DPO. Soon thereafter, the Buzdar government faced another controversy. This was the Sahiwal tragedy where the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Punjab killed several people in a car on the errant suspicion of them being terrorists. Later, the Punjab government had to pay a hefty amount to the families of those killed by the CTD.

Similarly, when the wheat and sugar crisis hit the country, the Buzdar government was again at the centerstage of criticism. The Chief Minister Punjab had to appear before a Sugar Commission, formed on the directions of the PM, for approving billions of rupees in subsidies for the sugar barons. And to compound those issues, was the recent episode in Murree, where more than 20 people froze to death due to the alleged mismanagement and bad governance of the Buzdar government.

Issues such as controlling dengue and smog in Punjab, particularly in Lahore, as well as matters of cleanliness, have also been mishandled, generating additional criticism from all and sundry about the CM’s ability to deliver. Furthermore, Buzdar has failed to take new development initiatives in the province. Then, to add to his woes,  the Lahore National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore started a probe against him for ‘misuse of authority’ in the award of the Lahore Gateway-II Thokar Niaz Baig project to his ‘favourite contractor’.

A second probe against Buzdar was also initiated, on charges of receiving Rs 50 million as a bribe to force the chief of the Excise and Taxation Department to issue a liquor licence to an under-construction hotel in violation of the law. He also faces charges of acquiring property, mostly in South Punjab, in the names of his relatives and others.

Buzdar, of course, denies involvement in any illegal activity.

And talking to Bol News, Irrigation Minister Punjab Mohsin Leghari said though Usman Buzdar had faced several issues at the start of his term, now he is doing fine. He also contended that the PM’s office has never intervened in matters pertaining to Buzdar’s ministry. “Initially, the CM had no exposure… but now he has learnt from his experiences. I know Fateh Muhammad Buzdar, the CM’s father, as we served twice as MPAs in the past. I found Usman to be a very down to earth and humble person,” said the minister who belongs to Buzdar’s area.

The minister does not agree that major incidents in Punjab during the PTI regime, including the Murree incident, are a result of Buzdar’s incompetence. “The CM isn’t responsible for these things as there is an army of officials at each level. They need to do their duty,” he maintained. And responding to the question of whether CM Punjab Usman Buzdar would complete his tenure, Mohsin Leghari said that in societies like ours uncertainties do exist, but he is hopeful that the CM will complete his term.

The buzz around Buzdar

Buzdar, who hails from Barki village – an area that falls under PP-286, the tribal region of Dera Ghazi Khan – is the son of a three-time former MPA and chief of the Buzdar tribe, Sardar Fateh Muhammed Khan Buzdar. The elder Buzdar remained lawmaker thrice in 1985, 2002, and 2008.

Jaffer Buzdar, one of the CM’s brothers, has served as the UC chairman of the PML-N, whereas another brother, Umar Buzdar, is serving in the Border Military Police (BMP). His cousins Hashim Buzdar and Imran Buzdar are also associated with the BMP. Farooq Buzdar, another cousin, has served as a sitting UC chairman.

Before being elected as a lawmaker for the first time in 2018, Buzdar had served as a Tehsil Nazim of a mountainous tribal area of Dera Ghazi Khan twice on a PMLQ ticket — in 2001 and 2005 — during former President Pervez Musharraf’s rule. Before that, in 1998, Buzdar had served as a district council member.

Buzdar remained associated with the PML-Q till 2011. Later, he left the party and joined the PML-N. In 2013, he contested the election for a provincial assembly seat on a PML-N ticket, but he lost the election to the PPP’s Khawaja Nizam.

So the PTI is the third political party Buzdar has been affiliated with since he entered politics in 1998, having been twice connected to the PML-N, first before October 12, 1999 and later after 2008, when his father joined the unification bloc after winning on a PML-Q ticket.

Before the 2018 general elections, Buzdar had joined the Janoobi Punjab Suba Mahaz, which then merged with the PTI, making him a member of Khan’s party. He won on a PTI ticket and became an MPA for the first time. According to sources, Buzdar, entered the PTI with the lobbying of Khawaja Shiraz, a noted politician from DG Khan and a close relative and former senior police official, who had good relationship with PTI leader Jahangir Khan Tareen.

While serving as Tehsil Nazim twice, Buzdar faced allegations of corruption in development schemes and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had taken notice of the allegations, even summoning Buzdar once. But soon after his name was announced as PTI’s candidate for the CM Punjab’s office, the Bureau clarified that no inquiry was pending against him and he was interrogated only once when he was holding the office of tehsil nazim.

Buzdar had also had serious allegations of murder, political victimisation and nepotism levelled against him. He was nominated in a murder case which was settled after a hefty amount of Rs 7.5 million was paid to the victim’s family.

Buzdar is married and his wife was a lecturer from the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC). Sardar Usman Buzdar is also registered with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) as a government contractor.

And according to the tax directories of parliamentarians for the year 2018 and 2019, whereas CM Punjab Usman Buzdar had paid Rs 2,000 as income tax for the year 2019, he did not pay even a single penny as income tax in the year 2018.