Imran’s nominee becomes new Punjab chief minister
lahore — The legislature in Pakistan’s largest province has elected a member of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party as chief minister following last month’s elections.
Usman Buzdar won a simple majority of 186 votes out of 371 in the Punjab provincial assembly on Sunday, defeating Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, who secured 159.
Sharif ’s Pakistan Muslim League won the most seats in the Punjab assembly in last month’s elections, but Buzdar prevailed with the support of independents and allied parties.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is now the governing party in the National Assembly as well as the provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Later addressing the house, Usman Buzdar said eradication of corruption and getting rid of status quo were his priorities as the chief executive of the province.
He resolved to make Punjab a model province through good governance and overcoming the challenges being faced by its people. He said the PTI government would strengthen institutions, including the local government system.
He said he would follow the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa governancemodel. The PTI government in KP had achieved successes during its 2013-18 tenure and that was why the people voted the PTI to power with a two-third majority in the July 25 election, he added.
Buzdar said police reforms would be introduced, adding a lot needed to be done to improve the lot of masses as many areas, including his home constituency Taunsa Sharif, were underdeveloped. The PTI government would bring the under-developed areas on a par with the developed ones, he added. —