sman Buzdar, described as Wasim Akram Plus by Prime Minister Imran Khan, was relieved of his duties as Punjab chief minister after Khan sought his resignation to make way for Chaudhry Parvez Elahi in a bid to save his own position. The desired results did not ensue.

Buzdar’s performance was always questioned not only by the opposition but also by his own party’s parliamentarians. What will keep bothering him in the days to come are allegations of corruption and questions relating to Farhat Shahzadi aka Farah Khan, a close friend of Bushra Bibi.

When PM Khan had nominated Buzdar for the chief minister’s slot, he had described him as a poor man who lived in a house that did not have electricity. The fact is that Buzdar owns several houses in Dera Ghazi Khan and Multan, all decked with modern facilities.
He has owned these before becoming the chief minister in August 2018.

Buzdar, described by many as having a humble disposition despite being a tumandar (chief) of the tribe, is a media-shy person. Be that as it may, he was unable to prove his mettle as a leader and an administrator. The PM himself visited Lahore several times to counter the pressure regarding Buzdar. When some PTI leaders demanded that Buzdar be replaced, PM Khan always rejected the demand saying: “Don’t try to blackmail me. He is the best performer”. However, with as many as five inspector generals of police, four chief secretaries and four CCPOs of Lahore having served during his tenure, Buzdar’s performance hasn’t been all that enviable. Irregularities in provincial departments and a deteriorating law and order situation in the Punjab speak volumes about his performance.

His election as chief minister had irked many in the PTI ranks. Around 40 MPAs had at one point formed three pressure groups within the party. When the prime minister nominated Elahi as his candidate for Punjab CM, some of them parted ways with the party and have announced their support for Hamza Shahbaz.

Buzdar started his political career in 2002 when he was elected a tehsil nazim from Dera Ghazi Khan on a Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid ticket. He left the party in 2013 and joined the PML-N. In 2013 he ran for a provincial assembly seat on a PML-N ticket but lost. In 2018, he was elected an MPA. Despite his resignation, he continues to exercise the powers of the Punjab chief minister.

In the coming days, Buzdar is expected to face a tough time because of his proximity to Farah Khan and her spouse Ahsan Jamil Gujjar, who left the country as the political crisis unfolded in Islamabad.                                        

The writer is a senior journalist, teacher of journalism, and analyst. He tweets at @BukhariMubasher