LAHORE: The issue of impersonation as the chief minister’s relatives refuses to go away: three letters at the turn of the year could not address it, prompting the Punjab government to write yet another letter on Thursday.

“Don’t entertain requests from a person introducing himself as a relative of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, rather report it to the government,” reads the letter.

The Punjab government as well as the Chief Minister Secretariat is receiving complaints that many people, especially those belonging to the Buzdar clan, are approaching government offices and demanding that their works be done, payments made etc. They are also ‘interfering’ in transfer and posting of officials.

Officials say the issue first surfaced in Dera Ghazi Khan, the home district of Mr Buzdar, last year and spread to all over the province. Soon after Mr Buzdar’s joining the chief minister office, it started receiving complaints that some people were impersonating the CM’s close relatives and wanted their jobs done. The officials said they also received calls from people who introduced themselves as Mr Buzdar’s close relatives.

In September last year, the Punjab government had twice written letters to the government officials across the province asking them to be careful about “fake calls and orders”. One such letter was written soon after an instruction by the Services Hospital additional medical superintendent (on his letterhead) started making rounds on social media that Chief Minister Usman Buzdar’s sister was admitted to the hospital and the medical unit should visit her in the VVIP-I on a priority.

Besides, the government was also receiving complaints that people were using the CM’s name to get favours and jobs done in hospitals, educational institutions and other government offices.

The letter issued in September last year stated: “The name of the chief minister is being misused in different offices of Punjab by fake telephone calls”. It directed that all officials should verify and confirm the authenticity of telephonic directions from the chief minister’s offices before compliance of any sort.

Early this year, the Implementation and Coordination (I&C) secretary had written a letter to the civil and police bureaucracy expressing grievousness of the subject matter and asking all top officials to report all those persons who were trying to pose themselves as chief minister’s relatives.

The letter read: “Some instances have been reported whereby some unknown persons have represented themselves as brothers and relatives of the Punjab chief minister to get their matters resolved.”

There was a brief respite after a chief minister office directive on March 19 and the Punjab government’s letter the very next day.

However, the Punjab government again felt compelled to issue another letter (on Thursday) to the civil and police bureaucracy in the province asking them to refuse such request(s) of any such person(s) and the matter be brought to the notice of their respective higher authorities as well as the CM office immediately.

The officials have also been told that the name of the chief minister is being misused in different offices of Punjab through fake telephone calls. The government directed that all officials should verify and confirm the authenticity of telephonic directions from the CM office before compliance of any sort.

Sources told Dawn that the bureaucracy was facing a difficult situation in DG Khan and elsewhere in the province, where the chief minister’s relatives, aides and ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leaders were approaching government officials and asking for favours or help on various issues.

They said Buzdar clan’s interference in government departments including police, irrigation, local government, highways and educational institutions was rampant. In tribal areas, there were issues of smuggling of Iranian oil, imported vehicles and drugs that smack of involvement of members of Buzdar clan, they said.

Sources alleged that merit had become casualty as transfers and postings even at the provincial level were being done on the recommendations of local MNAs and MPAs.

A senior official in the CM Secretariat said the letter to highlight the impersonation issue was written after a number of complaints poured in from all over the province. Citing an example, he said, recently a CEO (education) was charged with harassing a woman at workplace. “Since his surname is Buzdar, the media portrayed the official as chief minister’s relative,” he said.

Buzdar is a Baloch tribe and came into limelight after Usman Buzdar’s elevation as the chief minister. The official said Buzdar clan members approached officials not only in DG Khan but all other districts including the Civil Secretariat in Lahore and introduce themselves as Mr Buzdar’s close relatives.

Since these instances are also being reported in the CM Secretariat, the official said Mr Buzdar was getting conscious of his name being (mis)used and wanted to build his image as a clean and honest person.

A similar situation had emerged in Punjab when Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi became the chief minister and people from Gujrat would introduce themselves as relatives of the political family, the official recalled.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2019