Tag: Buzdar

  • Bye bye Buzdar? Elahi says Khan has promised him the CM seat

    Bye bye Buzdar? Elahi says Khan has promised him the CM seat

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Pervaiz Elahi has claimed that party chief Imran Khan has “promised” to give him the chief minister’s post once again if their party wins the election in Punjab.

    Discussing the current political crisis, Elahi said that when he agreed to dissolve the assembly, Khan offered him the post of the central president of the party and promised him that he or his son Moonis Elahi would be the next CM of the province.

    When asked that Imran has said that Punjab dissolution took place on former army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s directives, Elahi said that he had “no discussion with him over this issue.”

    He clarfied that PTI respects the real establishment, however, there are some intruders, so the party cannot side with them.

    He admitted that Khan’s fight was with Bajwa, adding that now that the former army chief is gone, new people had come in, so Khan doesn’t want more fights.

    About the raid at his homes in Lahore and Gujrat last week, the PTI leader chose not to name who he thinks are responsible, saying “Everyone knows who they are”.

    Last month, PTI’s Fawad Chaudhry said that the senior leadership of the party, including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Hammad Azhar, and himself didn’t get party tickets for the upcoming Punjab election although it was widely speculated that they wanted one for the CM seat. Meanwhile, both former CMs of Punjab, Pervaiz Elahi and Usman Buzdar were given a ticket.

  • Oh, Punjab walon, Fawad Chaudhry suggests Buzdar can become chief minister again

    Oh, Punjab walon, Fawad Chaudhry suggests Buzdar can become chief minister again

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Fawad Chaudhry has said that he will be surprised to see Usman Buzdar as Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab again, however, he stressed that the decision will be up to the party chairman, Imran Khan.

    Talking to Journalist Kashif Abbasi on ARY News programme ‘Off the Record’, Fawad said: “What can I say,” when asked if Buzdar is the leading candidate for the slot. Chaudhry repeated himself again, saying that the decision will be made by Imran Khan.

    The PTI leader didn’t seem happy when asked that why he didn’t get a Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) party ticket from Imran Khan.

    It was revealed that senior leadership of the party, including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Hammad Azhar, and Fawad, didn’t get party tickets for the upcoming Punjab election although it was widely speculated that they wanted one. Meanwhile, according to Fawad, both former CMs of Punjab, Pervaiz Elahi and Usman Buzdar, were given a ticket.

    “We should have gotten them”, Fawad said when asked about tickets. He also agreed that there are many party members who want to apply for the Punjab CM candidacy including Hammad Azhar and Shah Mahmood.

    Shahbaz Gill, who also didn’t get a MPA ticket, said that he and other leaders including Fawad and Hammad submitted papers for the provincial assembly, however, Khan decided not to give them tickets.

    However, he accepted Khan’s decision wholeheartedly, saying “I am not with Khan for the ticket and not for the position.”

    Khan’s social media focal person Azhar Mashwani also came forward to reveal that “many former federal ministers and MNAs of PTI wanted to contest elections on the Punjab Assembly seats as well.”

    However, according to Azhar, Khan decided that the “federal team will remain in the federation.”

  • Buzdar changed 3,000 officers in his tenure as CM

    Buzdar changed 3,000 officers in his tenure as CM

    During a three-and-a-half-year tenure, former Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar transferred over 3,000 officers in violation of both the tenure policy and the Supreme Court’s (SC) judgment in the Anita Turab case, reports The News.

    In Anita Turab’s case, the apex court barred the government from transferring officers before the completion of their tenure.

    In the Anita Turab case, the SC had laid down the several principles to save the government servants from politicisation. Appointments, removals and promotions must be made in accordance with the law and the rules. Secondly, when the ordinary tenure for a posting has been specified in the law or rules made thereunder, such tenure must be respected.

    According to the news outlet, there have been no suo moto notices and no punishments for the violators.

    Moreover, it has been reported that the Buzdar government transferred around 1,100 secretaries, Director Generals (DG), commissioners, Deputy Commissioners (DC) and additional deputy commissioners in Punjab.

    In the Police Department, there were more than 1,900 senior police officials, including Deputy Inspector General (DIGs), regional police officers, city police officers, district police officers and Sub-Divisional Police Officers (SDPOs), who were transferred.

    The record reveals that Lahore, Gujranwala, Pakpattan and Dera Ghazi Khan were the major districts that were the focus of these changes where maximum numbers of transfers and postings occurred.

    It is pertinent to mention that during Buzdar’s tenure Punjab saw five chief secretaries and seven inspectors generals of police which has never happened before.

    In 36 districts of Punjab, the Buzdar government transferred 198 deputy commissioners in three and a half years. On average, 5.5 DCs were changed in every district during the PTI-led government.

    Dera Ghazi Khan and Gujranwala are the two districts where the maximum number of DCs were changed.

    In DG Khan and Pakpattan, some DCs were transferred within three months. Waqas Rashid was transferred within three months as DC Dera Ghazi Khan and Nauman Yousaf was transferred in three months as DC Pakpattan.

  • Battle begins: Hamza Shehbaz refuses to step down after ECP decision

    Battle begins: Hamza Shehbaz refuses to step down after ECP decision

    Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Hamza Shehbaz has reportedly refused to step down from his position following the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to de-seat 25 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) dissident Member of Provincial Assembly (MPAs) who voted for Hamza.

    PTI says it will send the CM home through legal means in line with the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) and ECP’s decisions.

    “The game for the fake CM is over after de-seating of the 25 lotas (turncoats),” Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s (PML-Q) Moonis Elahi said. He added that after losing the majority in the House, Hamza has no moral or legal grounds to cling to the office.

    Moreover, the Opposition — PTI-PML-Q alliance — sees a run-off election in the coming days claiming Hamza cannot “illegally” hold the office for long.

    It is pertinent to mention that the allocation of five vacant reserved seats will assume an important role if the run-off election is held. According to legal experts, ECP will now distribute these seats as per the current strength of each party in the Punjab Assembly, which means if the PTI gets the most share, it may be able to get the CM post.

    Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said Hamza Shehbaz is not going to resign and still has a majority in the Punjab Assembly. Similarly, PML-N deputy secretary-general Attaullah Tarar said that the ECP’s decision has no impact on Hamza’s office.

    Tarar claimed the PML-N enjoys the support of 177 members in PA against 168 of the PTI-PML-Q combined. He also claimed the PML-N will get three of the five reserved seats, which would take its tally to 180.

    The PTI-PML-Q joint candidate for the CM’s slot and the current PA Speaker Chaudhry Parvaiz Elahi said, “I am Imran Khan’s candidate and after taking oath as the CM, I will dissolve the assemblies if he asks me.”

    The Punjab Assembly’s current strength is 346 members: PTI has 158 lawmakers, PML-Q has 10, PML-N 165, PPP seven, five independents, and one Rah-e-Haq Party.

  • Confusion over CM Punjab oath-taking today, Speaker says Buzdar is still CM

    The Punjab Assembly (PA) session, with a no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari on agenda, was adjourned by Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi till 11:30am on May 16.

    Later talking to the media, Ch Pervaiz Elahi blamed harassment of the assembly’s officials by police officers as the reason for postponing the session. “The assembly officials are being harassed and intimated by police officers. Some of them have been arrested while the police have been carrying out raiding on the houses of other staffers,” he added.

    Regarding the confusion over the oath-taking ceremony of Chief Minister (CM) Punjab, Elahi said that Buzdar is still the CM.

    However, in the light of the Lahore High Court (LHC) orders to Punjab Governor Omer Sarfraz Cheema regarding oath-taking from CM-elect Hamza Shehbaz, there is some probability that Hamza may take oath today (Thursday).

    Voting on the no-confidence motion was scheduled for Thursday and it was supposed to be held through a secret ballot. No Member of the Punjab Assembly (MPA) was allowed to bring their cellphone to the House. Women lawmakers were also barred from carrying their handbags.

    Security around the House was quite strict after the PA session on April 16 witnessed unprecedented violence which left many lawmakers injured.

    According to Dawn, a PML-N MPA told the news outlet that PML-N, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf  (PTI)’s dissident lawmakers agreed to support Deputy Speaker Mazari in the no-confidence motion.

    The no-confidence against the deputy speaker was submitted on April 7 when he summoned the assembly session early on April 6 instead of April 16— a development that was opposed by PML-Q and PTI.

    Mazari’s sudden change of heart to hold the session earlier was termed the ‘handiwork’ of the PML-N leadership that allegedly wooed him through a ‘good offer’.

  • ‘Hamza is like my brother’, Aleem Khan dispels rumours of differences with him

    ‘Hamza is like my brother’, Aleem Khan dispels rumours of differences with him

    The member of disgruntled Jahangir Khan Tareen (JKT) group Aleem Khan dismissed the reports about any differences with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) nominee for Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Hamza Shehbaz Sharif, saying: “Hamza is like my younger brother.”

    In a tweet, Khan took a jibe at Hamza’s contender Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) Pervaiz Elahi and said, “Elahi is seeing his defeat. He has come to know that defeat has become his destiny. I have a very lovable and respect relation with Hamza. He is like my younger brother. Nothing has happened and will never happen.”

    “Pervaiz Elahi should admit his defeat. Come to the polls. There will be no need for them to do such things,” Khan added.

    Following this, Hamza also dropped a tweet. He said, “The lies which have been propagated against me and Aleem Khan are baseless and a product of someone’s imagination. Khan is a respected brother and a senior politician. Seeing a clear defeat in Punjab, such a bay is being flown.”

    Earlier, it was claimed that Khan is involved in an altercation with Hamza and he had threatened to resign from his seat.

    The Punjab Assembly’s crucial session for the election of a new CM is likely to take place on April 16. PML-N has claimed of having the support of 202 Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) in the house.

  • Maryam Nawaz reason for the big CM split

    Maryam Nawaz reason for the big CM split

    Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has revealed that after Shehbaz Sharif came to his residence and invited them for a dinner at their place, he came to know that not everyone in Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was on board with him and those people matter.

    Geo News’ anchorperson Hamid Mir asked Elahi that if he were to become PTI’s candidate for Punjab’s chief minister, why did he meet key Opposition leaders.

    “Maryam Nawaz and her group did not like the fact that the PML-N was giving so much to the party with only 10 seats.”

    “This has happened thrice with us, because of which we were skeptical,” he added.

    “I have a feeling that you have some issues with Maryam Nawaz, do you feel the same about Shehbaz too?” asked Hamid Mir.

    To which Elahi did not give a clear answer.

    The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday announced PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as its candidate for Punjab Chief ministership after incumbent Usman Buzdar presented his resignation to the prime minister.

  • PML-N to file case against Buzdar for stealing records from his own office

    PML-N to file case against Buzdar for stealing records from his own office

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)’s Punjab Information Secretary Azma Bokhari revealed that the party will register a case against Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Usman Buzdar for allegedly stealing ‘official records’ of the CM House, reports Dawn.

    In a statement, she said, “Buzdar has removed the official records from the CM House and shifted it to an unidentified place,” while adding that if he [Buzdar] had not removed official records why did he delete video footage of the CM House when moving things around.

    Bokhari also alleged that CM Punjab has become a billionaire through corruption and he has made properties. She claimed that Buzdar would soon leave PTI and join another political party.

    However, the Punjab government said that these allegations are rubbish.

    Earlier, on another matter, the provincial government also dismissed reports regarding CM Buzdar that he had directed the concerned department to prepare a summary for enhancing the perks and privileges for ‘former’ CMs.

  • Today’s highlights: Opposition submits no-confidence while PM remains unfazed

    Today’s highlights: Opposition submits no-confidence while PM remains unfazed

    A total of 86 lawmakers from the Opposition parties signed the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Tuesday in an effort to oust the PM.

    Opposition leaders — Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif, and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman confirmed the submission in a joint press conference.

    The government’s current number of Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) stands at 179 while the Opposition has the support of 162 MNAs but they claim to have 186 members on their side.

    While addressing the conference, Zardari laughed when asked how many Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) assembly members are with him. He sarcastically said, “Naam bhi bata doon?” (Should I reveal the names also?)

    PM Khan remains unfazed

    PM Khan reportedly met with the Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) to discuss legal aspects after the Opposition’s submission of a no-confidence motion against him. Not only this, the premier also had a meeting with YouTubers, in which he made several claims. He said that the army stands with the government, it will never support thieves.

    “After this, nothing will happen against this government till 2028. The Opposition will face a humiliating defeat,” he added.

    PM Khan is all set to visit Karachi tomorrow (Wednesday).

    Will Shehbaz Sharif become the new PM?

    Addressing the ‘Awami March’, former President Zardari hinted that Shehbaz Sharif might become the new PM (if the no-confidence motion is successful). He said, “It is time we bring a Shareef admi to replace the prime minister.”

    Another PPP leader, Naveed Qamar, said that it is likely that Shehbaz Sharif will be the next prime minister.

    CM Buzdar resignation matter

    As per reports, Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Usman Buzdar presented his resignation to the PM but he didn’t accept the resignation and reportedly said that Buzdar will always be CM of Punjab. Buzdar also vowed that even if he is no longer CM, he will always stand by Khan.

    Moreover, there are several media reports which suggest that members within PTI aren’t really happy with Buzdar. Aleem Khan and Jahangir Tareen group said that the only way to move forward in Punjab is minus-Buzdar.

    Awami March reaches Islamabad

    PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s Awami March has reached Islamabad. In an exclusive interview with Hamid Mir on Geo News’ programme Capital Talk, Bilawal said that the capital’s police is blocking its party convoy. “Until the whole caravan is allowed to come with me, we will protest,” he said.

    Tareen-Aleem partnership

    Top leaders of the disgruntled Jahangir Khan Tareen (JKT) group, including PTI’s Aleem Khan, are going to London to meet Tareen.

    On Monday, Aleem Khan formally joined Jahangir Tareen’s group. Aleem said the aim is to “save” the party after “loyalists who had been integral in PTI’s 10-year struggle were sidelined without any reason.”

    In response, PM Khan claimed that Tareen would never support “thieves”.

  • Hostile intelligence agency involved in Lahore blast: CM Buzdar

    Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar in a press conference has said that the blast in Johar Town, Lahore, was carried out by a “hostile intelligence agency”. CM Punjab said that terrorists involved in the attack have been arrested.

    “It was found that a hostile intelligence agency was involved, which provided financial help to this network,” said CM Buzdar.

    “The Punjab government established an investigation team. I am satisfied to tell you that the investigation was started by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and the suspects were identified within 16 hours. In four days, the terrorists were arrested in raids in the country.”

    CM Punjab also thanked all law-enforcement agencies (LEAs) for their efforts and termed the arrests of the suspects in the blast as a “big success”.

    “I want to inform you that the Punjab government has traced all high-profile cases in the province and arrested their suspects,” added Buzdar.

    A powerful blast near the residence of Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed killed three people and injured 24 others, including a police constable.