Usman Buzdar is going nowhere, says information minister

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz said Thursday that Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar “is going nowhere”, adding that all rumours that he was were contrary to facts.

Taking to Twitter, the information minister said that all speculation “regarding his departure are Mala fide and baseless”.

“Chief Minister Punjab, Usman Buzdar is going nowhere. All speculations regarding his departure are Mala fide and baseless,” he tweeted.

Chief Minister Punjab, Usman Buzdar is going nowhere. All speculations regarding his departure are Mala fide and baseless

— Senator Shibli Faraz (@shiblifaraz) July 16, 2020

Reports have been doing the rounds on the internet that the Punjab chief minister has been asked to hang up his boots after, what some claim, has been a dismal performance from his end on wide ranging issues from tackling the coronavirus pandemic to his involvement in the sugar crisis and other matters.

Opposition parties have slammed the prime minister and the ruling party for standing by Buzdar when even his own party members, including Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry, severely criticised Buzdar.

Chaudhry slams Buzdar in PTI meeting

Earlier, in a meeting of the PTI’s core committee, the science minister had lashed out at Buzdar over the latter’s “failure to deliver”. He had also reportedly informed the premier that of the Rs350 billion allocated for Punjab’s development projects, the provincial government had only utilised Rs77 billion.

Sources had informed Geo News that Chaudhry also accused the Punjab government of not disbursing the finance commission award to the districts. In response to the accusations, the premier directed the provincial government to release the award, the sources had added.