Punjab CM to meet annoyed MPAs today

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar will hold a meeting with disgruntled PTI MPAs on Saturday (today) to discuss various issues related to them.

Around 20 MPAs of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, under the banner of Supremacy of Parliament Group have got united with a motive to draw attention of Buzdar for the redressal of their grievances. This group which comprises a majority of members from Southern Punjab also includes those who joined the PTI while ditching their previous parties like the PML-N and the PPP in the election year when the PTI position had got stronger in Punjab.

This group became active since November 2019 when the present bureaucratic setup in Punjab led by Chief Secretary Major (retd) Azam Suleman took over. The major cause of resentment amongst these MPAs was the blockage of their development funds. There is also a perception in the PTI that the chief minister himself has been behind the formation of this group as even the CM hasn’t been able to exercise his powers properly under the current bureaucratic team chosen by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

However, this has been denied. “We are not Buzdar’s team, we are part of Imran Khan’s team” said Sardar Shahab-ud-Din, MPA and a major figure of the disgruntled group, while talking to media persons outside the Punjab Assembly on Friday. To a question whether Usman Buzdar is currently more powerful or the chief secretary, Shahab didn’t respond. He belongs to Layyah and was PPP MPA between 2013 and 2018.

However, the MPAs of this group time and again ruled out any revolt against their party and said they have only got united to convey their complaints to the CM. Sources said in the meeting expected today, the group will convey its issues to the chief minister in the presence of the chief secretary and other officials.