Buzdar to remain CM, Imran tells PTI groups

Through one of his closest aides, Prime Minister Imran Khan has sent a clear message to all the internal lobbies within the PTI that no proposal to replace his nominated Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar is under consideration at the moment and he may even publicly repose his confidence in him during the party’s function to celebrate the PTI’s Foundation Day in Islamabad on May 1.

The PTI’s internal differences, which became the prime reason for Buzdar’s selection as CM, still persist, rather sharpened with the passage of time. PM Imran in the past had categorically stated that as long as the PTI government is there, Buzdar is there.

But when he had replaced his most trusted person Asad Umar as finance minister with a technocrat Hafeez Shaikh, the PTI’s lobbies in Punjab got active again and started circulating news about the possible change in Punjab too.

Imran also knows that if he replaced Buzdar after Asad, he could face huge criticism for picking wrong people for the right job. Secondly, any change of CM, considered as the most powerful position in Pakistan’s civilian set-up after PM, could once again open a Pandora’s box and that too at a time when local government elections are not far and he doesn’t want to create any political unrest in the big province before March 2020, Senate elections. The PTI is all set to get majority in the upper house. Therefore, IK will not take any risk unless there is a complete consensus among the factions within the PTI, particularly Jehangir Tareen-Aleem Khan vs Shah Mehmood Qureshi-Ch Sarwar.

It is the party’s internal groupings particularly in Punjab, which forced the party chairman to abandon the intra-party polls time and again since 2013.

Imran last week sent his ‘Chief of Staff’ Naeemul Haq to Lahore with a clear message that Buzdar is going nowhere. He met with Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi, who some days later issued a categorical statement in support of Buzdar. It was followed by the party’s Punjab Parliamentary Committee’s meeting, which reposed confidence in him.

Interestingly, unlike the Chaudhrys of Gujrat, the other ally Janoobi Punjab Mahaz is silent over its support in case the PM decides to replace Buzdar or otherwise. They are keeping their cards close to their chest and watching the developments. With key opposition party PML-N at present busy in ensuring a safe passage for former premier Nawaz Sharif while Shahbaz Sharif has not returned from London, it’s all ‘PTI vs PTI’ at the moment.

A few days ago, I asked a prominent PML-N central leader about the party’s present politics and role, he made an interesting comment: “Party is just watching the developments like a paralysed patient, who can watch other’s movement but can’t move”.

So there is no such activity at Raiwind as far as change in Punjab is concerned except that the PML-N has put some of its weight behind the PML-Q in case they are interested and ready to form an alliance, but some other political houses have become hub of such activities like the CM House, Governor’s House and Tareen House.

Some reports suggest that CM’s supporters are also monitoring the activities of Punjab Governor Ch Sarwar and believe that if at all a decision is taken and goes against their leader, the other may also go i.e. the governor. Support for Buzdar has also come from the newly-appointed PM’s special assistant on information and broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan and another aide of the PM, Faisal Javed has also been asked to go to Lahore with a message. Buzdar is lucky that despite criticism on him from cross-section of society, he has not yet lost the confidence of the key man i.e. Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Sources said Buzdar is lucky that differences within the PTI persist and there is very little chance that strong lobbies would be able to agree on his replacement. However, some critics believe that Buzdar will be replaced after budget session and the prime minister may again come with a surprise name. But can he take the risk at a time when local government elections are not far and also the Senate elections in March 2020.

All is well for the chief minister by chance; Usman Buzdar despite being the man without a lobby got the position without much fuss. Many politicians from Punjab often ‘dream’ to get the top slot of the biggest province.

As far as his performance and governance are concerned, he has not been able to make any impact. Key decision for PM Imran will be whether Buzdar-led Punjab administration could bring ‘desired result’ in the local government election, where the PML-N still have strong roots. This one factor is bothering the premier and for which he may go by the advice of former chief minister Pervaiz Elahi, who at the moment is with Buzdar and enjoying the role of a de facto CM. But then politics is the game of possibilities and uncertainties.

The writer is a senior columnist and analyst of Geo, The News and Jang

Twitter: @MazharAbbasGEO