Born on 1 May 1969, Sardar Usman Ahmad Khan Buzdar is a Pakistani politician who previously held the position of Chief Minister of Punjab from 20 August 2018 to 30 April 2022. From August 2018 to January 2023, he was a member of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab and served as the parliamentary leader for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the Provincial Assembly. Hailing from a Baloch family, he assumed the role of Tumandar of the Baloch tribe Buzdar in April 2019. Prior to his political career, Buzdar served as Tehsil Nazim of Tehsil Tribal Area from 2001 to 2008.
Early Life And Education
Born in May 1969 in Dera Ghazi Khan to Sardar Fateh Muhammad Buzdar, Usman Ahmad Khan Buzdar is a member of the Buzdar clan, a Baloch tribe settled in southern Punjab. His early education took place at the Government Boys Primary School in Barthi, Punjab. Later, he completed his Intermediate-level education at a Government College in Multan and obtained a bachelor’s degree in law from the Law College, Multan. During his post-graduation, he practiced law at consumer courts for three years. Buzdar furthered his education by earning a master’s degree in political science from Bahauddin Zakariya University.
Party Affiliations and Electoral Pursuits
In 2001, Buzdar joined PML-Q and served as Tehsil Nazim of Koh e Sulieman until 2008. Post the 2008 general election, he left PML-Q for a forward bloc, with reports suggesting continued ties until 2011. Ahead of the 2013 general election, he shifted to PML-N, contesting but losing the Provincial Assembly seat from PP-241 (Dera Ghazi Khan-II) with 22,875 votes.
PTI Candidacy and Abrupt Removal in 2023
In the lead-up to the 2018 general election, Buzdar transitioned to PTI along with dissident PML-N members, securing a PTI ticket for PP-286 Dera Ghazi Khan-II. He won the seat in the 2018 Punjab provincial election with 26,897 votes.
However, despite initially running as a PTI candidate for PP-286 in the 2023 Punjab provincial election, Buzdar was unexpectedly removed from the party by Chairman Imran Khan on August 1, 2023.
Nomination as PTI's Chief Minister Candidate
On August 17, 2018, Imran Khan nominated Buzdar as PTI’s Chief Minister of Punjab candidate. This surprising choice faced widespread criticism due to Buzdar’s limited political recognition. Khan justified the selection by emphasizing Buzdar’s origins in an economically disadvantaged area, where he was the sole Assembly member without electricity at home. Analysts suggested Buzdar’s lack of an independent power base made him reliant on Khan to sustain his position.
Election, Controversies, and Party Discord
On August 19, 2018, Buzdar won the Chief Minister election with 186 votes against Hamza Shahbaz Sharif’s 159, and he was sworn in the next day. During his tenure, five Punjab Police Inspector Generals were replaced. However, Buzdar faced severe criticism for perceived incompetence, being considered one of Khan’s most questionable appointments. It later emerged that key PTI members, including Jehangir Tareen and Asad Umar, opposed Buzdar’s appointment, causing significant discord within the party.
Cabinet Formation, Resignation, and Succession
Upon becoming Chief Minister of Punjab, Buzdar formed a 23-member cabinet after consultations with Imran Khan. The cabinet was sworn in on August 27, 2018, and later expanded to 35 with the addition of 12 provincial ministers on September 13, 2018.
Facing a political crisis due to a no-confidence motion against Imran Khan, Buzdar offered his resignation on March 28, 2022, to ease tensions. The Governor of Punjab accepted his resignation on April 1, 2022, but he continued in office until the new Chief Minister, Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, was appointed.
Finally, Buzdar officially left office on April 30, 2022, with Hamza Shahbaz taking the oath as the new Chief Minister.
Controversies and Legal Matters
Reports emerged in August 2018, following Buzdar’s nomination for Chief Minister of Punjab, indicating a police case against him and his father, Sardar Fateh. The case involved their alleged role in the murder of at least six individuals during the 1998 local body elections. According to sources, an anti-terrorism court in Dera Ghazi Khan convicted Buzdar in January 2000. Subsequently, Buzdar’s father reportedly paid Rs 7,500,000 as blood money to settle the case through a jirga. On August 22, 2018, Geo News suggested a case of mistaken identity, asserting that Buzdar was not the same person accused of the murders.
In approximately 1982, police reports indicated that about 60 acres of state land was illegitimately transferred in favor of Fateh Muhammad Buzdar’s sons, including Usman Buzdar and his two younger brothers. An inquiry into the case revealed that the land was fraudulently allocated to Usman, Umar, and Tahir Buzdar in 1982, with the deed finalized in 1986. The transfer was deemed illegal as the brothers were minors at the time, with Usman at 13, Umar at 12, and Tahir at 3 years old. The complainant sought the cancellation of the allotment and the return of the land. However, the court later declared Buzdar innocent in this matter.
While serving as Nazim, Buzdar faced accusations of making 300 fraudulent appointments. An application was submitted against him to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in September 2016; however, the investigation by NAB did not proceed. Buzdar’s brother refuted the allegations, asserting that NAB found no evidence against Buzdar, resulting in the closure of the case.
Inheritance and Personal Life
In April 2019, following the death of his father, Buzdar assumed the role of Tumandar for the Baloch tribe of Buzdar. He is married to Begum Safia Usman and is a father to four daughters.
As per documents submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan in 2018, Buzdar declared assets totaling Rs. 25 million. His assets include three tractors valued at Rs 2.4 million and two cars worth Rs 3.6 million.