ISLAMABAD: The Federal Minister nominated for Information and Broadcasting, Fawad Ahmad Chaudhry, Saturday said nominating Usman Buzdar as Punjab Chief Minister was the decision of Prime Minister Imran Khan and his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) stood by it.
Imran Khan nominated an unknown person for the top slot of Punjab, who belonged to the middle class as it was the PTI’s vision that middle-class people should be brought forth to change conventional politics so that they could contribute to the country’s development and prosperity, he said talking to a private news channel.
Fawad Chaudhry said there was no reality in the allegations against Usman Buzdar. He was wrongly implicated in a case, he said, adding politicians were often involved in cases with which they had nothing to do.
To a question, he said Prime Minister Imran Khan wanted to take the oath of his office in an open ceremony like that of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, but the President House did not allow it.
He said the oath-taking ceremony was not hosted by the PTI as it was organized by the President House, which had not invited media persons.
Fawad said an austerity committee had been constituted to reduce expenditures of the prime minister and governor houses, but in the process, no employee of the houses would be made jobless.
Moreover, Prime Minister Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi Saturday categorically said that he stood by Sardar Usman Buzdar, the nominee of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf for the Chief Minister of Punjab as he found him to be an honest man.
“I want to make it clear I stand by our nominee Usman Buzdar for CM Punjab,” Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is also chairman of the party, said in a tweet.
He said he had done his due diligence over the past two weeks and had found him to be an honest man. “He (Buzdar) has integrity and stands by my vision & ideology of Naya Pakistan.”
He said Usman Buzdar came from one of the most backward areas of Punjab – the tribal area of Dera Ghazi Khan division. His area had no electricity, water or a doctor for over 200,000 people.
“He understands the problems of the people of neglected areas and will be able to ensure their uplift as chief minister,” Imran Khan hoped.
The prime minister maintained that it was the first time Punjab would have a chief minister from such a neglected area, who was acutely aware of what had to be done there.
“I fully back him all the way,” Imran Khan resolved.
Spokesperson of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Fawad Chaudhry on Saturday said Usman Buzdar, PTI’s nominated Punjab chief minister, belonged to the middle class and a backward area and did not face any case or NAB (National Accountability Bureau) inquiry. Fawad Chaudhry, in a statement, said it was wrongly reported in media that Usman Buzdar was involved in any case. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against him, which was a typical political FIR registered in rural areas against opponents and it was wrongly alleged that he was involved in firing on a polling station, whereas he was not even present at that place, he added. It should be appreciated that PTI promoted a person belonging to the middle class, he said.
A relevant piece published earlier:
Imran Khan, who has been catapulted into premiership by 176 newly sworn-in MNAs today, has flabbergasted all speculators by nominating a little-known politician Sardar Usman Buzdar – the only MNA who lives sans electricity – as PTI’s candidate for Punjab CM. Deciphering his pick in a video message Imran Khan maintained that since Buzdar belongs to one of the most deprived areas of Punjab sans water, electricity, and hospital etc., he knew how to live in the most underdeveloped area and knew how poor exist. Imran Khan, while expressing his confidence on Usman Buzdar, held that he would travail in accordance with the party’s vision apropos eradicating poverty. Imran hoped that Buzdar would turn out to be an honest chief minister and live up to the expectations. It is pertinent to mention here that from 2002-2008 Buzdar successfully contested the elections from PP-286 (DG Khan) on PML-Q tickets before joining PML-N. In 2013 election he was beaten by PPP-P candidate. Sardar Usman Buzdar was elected MPA from PP-286 (Taunsa Sharif) on PTI ticket in general election 2018. Nomination of Sardar Usman Khan Buzdar by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and Prime Minister-elect Imran Khan has been widely hailed by the people from different walks of life throughout the urban and tribal parts of the district. Soon after the announcement, the people of Barthi, an under-developed tribal area of Tahsil Taunsa Sharif started exchanging greetings and distributing sweets. Usman Buzdar is the eldest son of chief Buzdar tribe Sardar Fateh Muhammad Khan Buzdar. He started the political career in 1990 when he was elected as member District Council Dera Ghazi Khan. His father Sardar Fateh Muhammad Khan Buzdar was elected MPA thrice from 1985 to 2007. Usman Buzdar was elected twice as Tahsil Nazim tribal area in 2002 and 2005. He obtained primary education from primary School in Barthi, his native tribal area, and matric from High School Taunsa Sharif. He did his FA and BA from Emerson College Multan. Usman Buzdar completed his law education (LLB) and Masters in Political Science from Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan. He had lost 2013 general election as PML-N nominee to PPP candidate Khawaja Nazimul Mahmood, however, made a spectacular comeback as a PTI candidate in 2018 defeating Khawaja Nazimul Mahmood. He had claimed 26897 votes while independent Khawaja Nazimul Mahmood was his closest rival with 18668 votes. Usman Buzdar has four brothers and five sisters. News of his nomination as CM Punjab from PTI triggered a wave of happiness throughout DG Khan and Taunsa and scores of people gathered outside his residence in Barthi to extend felicitations.(Published on 17th August 2018)
