PTI's Sardar Usman Buzdar defeated PML-N's dynamic candidate Hamza Shahbaz in the election of Punjab Chief Minister on Sunday. He secured 186 votes, 27 more as compared to 159 polled for his rival. With Buzdar's election, Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has brought the decade-long autocratic rule of the well-entrenched PML-N to an end in the most populous and basin of power province of the country.
The one-on-one contest was held through open ballot in the house of 358 members and there was no allegation of horse trading as all members voted for their respective party's candidates. Seven Members of Pakistan Peoples Party were present in the house but they abstained from voting as per decision of the party leadership.
The session chaired by Speaker Pervaiz Elahi began with the recitation from Holy Quran after an hour's delay due to protest from members of the opposition, who chanted slogans and wore black armbands. The ruckus broke out again as the opposition members staged protest in front of speaker's dais soon after announcement of the election. They chanted slogans in favour of PML-N leaders.
Hamza Shahbaz had been the most powerful person during his father Shahbaz Sharif's 10-year rule as Punjab Chief Minister. He had won NA and PA seats of the walled city in 2018 general elections. He vacated NA seat. PML-N has nominated him leader of the 159-strong opposition in the Punjab Assembly.
In his victory speech, 49-year-old Sardar Usman Ahmad Buzdar thanked PM Imran Khan for posing confidence in him for the chief ministerial slot. He said his government would implement Imran Khan's vision for progress of the country.
The CM-elect said he belongs to a backward area of the province and his government would work for the progress of backward areas. "My merit is that I am from the most impoverished region of Punjab," he said, and promised to take Quaid-e-Azam and PM Imran Khan's vision forward. "We will develop the underdeveloped areas and sustain the developed regions," Buzdar said, adding that his focus would remain on good governance, elimination of corruption, and strengthening of institutions and local bodies. He said PTI's Punjab government would break the status quo and he would introduce the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa model of government in Punjab.
Political analysts and observers had expressed big surprise over nomination of Usman Buzdar for Punjab Chief Ministry since he had no experience of administering a big province such as Punjab and as a matter of fact Buzdar had joined PTI just before 2018 general election. They think it would be a combination of four persons, Premier Imran Khan, Jehangir Tareen, Governor Ch. Sarwar and speaker Ch. Pervez Elahi who would run affairs of the province to implement their slogan and manifesto of 'Change.'
Profile of Usman Buzdar Usman Buzdar was elected MPA from PP-286 Taunsa Sharif. Earlier, Buzdar remained a member of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) from 2002-2008 and later switched to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. In 2013, he contested the election from PML-N ticket but lost to PPP candidate. His father Fatah Muhammad Buzdar is the chief of Buzdar tribe and had been elected to the provincial assembly three times from DG Khan - 1985-88, 2002-2007 and 2008-2013.
Sardar Usman Buzdar is an advocate and a landlord. Born in May 1969, in the tribal stretch of Dera Ghazi Khan, Buzdar is the eldest of five brothers and sisters. He received his early education from his family village, Barthi and later enrolled at Multan's Bahauddin Zakariya University for masters in political science and then did LLB.
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