Usman Buzdar

Buzdar was born in May 1969 in Dera Ghazi Khan to Sardar Fateh Muhammad Buzdar.[2][3] He belongs to the Buzdar clan, which is a Baloch tribe settled in southern Punjab.[4] Buzdar received his early education from Government Boys Primary School in Barthi, Punjab.[5][2] He completed his Intermediate-level education from a Government College in Multan and received a bachelors degree in law from the Law College, Multan. It was there that he practiced law at consumer courts for three years during his post graduation.[5] He received a master's degree in political science from Bahauddin Zakariya University.[2][5]

In 2001, Buzdar joined Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (PML-Q).[5] In August 2001, he was elected Tehsil Nazim of Koh e Sulieman, a tribal area where he served until 2008.[6][7]

He quit the PML-Q after 2008 general election and joined a forward bloc.[8] According to another report, he remained politically affiliated with PML-Q until 2011.[9]

He joined the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N) prior to the 2013 general election and ran for the seat of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab as a candidate of PML-N from Constituency PP-241 (Dera Ghazi Khan-II), but was unsuccessful. He received 22,875 votes and lost the seat to Khawaja Muhammad Nizam-ul-Mehmood.[10][11]

Prior to the 2018 general election, Buzdar along with other rogue PML-N members joined Janoobi Punjab Suba Mahaz, a bloc that advocated for the creation of South Punjab province.[9] Janoobi Punjab Suba Mahaz merged with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in May 2018, leading to Buzdar joining the party. He was allocated a PTI ticket to contest PP-286 Dera Ghazi Khan-II.[12][13][14]

Buzdar was elected to the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab as a candidate of the PTI from PP-286 in the 2018 Punjab provincial election. He received 26,897 votes and defeated an independent candidate, Sardar Muhammad Akram Khan.[15]

He was running for a seat in the Provincial Assembly from PP-286 as a candidate of PTI in the 2023 Punjab provincial election, until he abruptly was removed from the party by chairman Imran Khan on the 01 August 2023.[16][17]

On 17 August 2018, Imran Khan nominated Buzdar as PTI's candidate for the office of Chief Minister of Punjab.[9] His nomination surprised many in the PTI and received widespread criticism as he was a lesser known figure in Pakistan's political spectrum.[18][19][20][21] According to Khan, he chose to support Buzdar because Buzdar hailed from an economically backwards area of Punjab, so much so that he was the only member of the Punjab Assembly who "lacked electricity at his home".[22] Other analysts claimed the selection was because Buzdar lacked an independent power base, and was thus totally reliant on Khan to hold on to office.[22]

On 19 August 2018, he was elected as the Chief Minister. He received 186 votes against his opponent Hamza Shahbaz Sharif who secured 159 votes.[23] He was sworn in on 20 August 2018.[24]

Under Buzdar's watch as the Chief Minister, five Inspector Generals of the Punjab Police were changed.[25] He was largely criticized for incompetence during his time as chief minister, and one of the worst appointments Khan made during his tenure.[22][26][27] It was later revealed that several PTI members including Jehangir Tareen and Asad Umar were against Buzdar's appointment as Chief Minister, and it was one of the major points of disagree among Khan and other party member.[28][29]

Following his nomination for the office of Chief Minister of Punjab in August 2018, reports had surfaced that a police case was registered against Buzdar and his father Sardar Fateh for their involvement in the murder of at-least six people during local body elections in 1998.[7] According to reports, an anti-terrorism court in Dera Ghazi Khan found Buzdar guilty and convicted him in January 2000.[37][38][39] [40] Buzdar's father later allegedly paid Rs 7,500,000 as blood money to the victim's family to settle the murder case through a jirga.[41][42][14][43] On 22 August 2018, Geo News claimed that it was a case of mistaken identity and that Buzdar is not the same person who was accused for the murders.[44][45]

According to police reports, around 1982 about 60 acres of state land was “bogusly mutated” in favour of Fateh Muhammad Buzdar’s sons, therefore Usman Buzdar and his two younger brothers. An inquiry was later launched into the case, states the FIR, which found that the land was indeed “malafidely, illegally, and through fraud, in connivance with revenue officials” given to Usman Buzdar, Umar Buzdar and Tahir Buzdar in 1982, while the deed was finalised in 1986. The transfer was also illegal, as all three brothers at the time were minors. At the time the ages of the brothers were: Usman Buzdar, 13, Umar Buzdar, 12, and Tahir Buzdar, 3. The complainant had asked for the allotment to be cancelled and the land to be returned.[46] The court would later deem Buzdar innocent in the matter.[47]

During his tenure as Nazim, Buzdar was accused of making 300 bogus appointments.[7][48] An application was filed against him in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in September 2016, however NAB failed to carry out investigation.[49] Buzdar's brother denied the accusation, claiming NAB was unable to find evidence against Buzdar, after which the case was closed.[7]

In April 2019, after death of his father, he was made tumandar of the Baloch tribe of Buzdar. He is married to Begum Safia Usman and has 4 daughters.[50]

According to documents submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan in 2018, Buzdar declared his assets worth Rs. 25 million. He declared that he owns three tractors and two cars worth Rs 2.4 million and worth Rs 3.6 million, respectively.[51]