LAHORE: The opposition PML-N says that Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar paid only Rs63,000 as tax during the last three years, but has now suddenly become a billionaire.

“Mr Buzdar declared his assets worth Rs1 million to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in 2018, and between 2015 and 2017 paid zero tax,” PML-N Punjab’s information secretary Azma Bokhari claimed at a press conference on Saturday. She asked the chief minister to tell the people who had “gifted” him a luxury car.

The PML-N leader said the ECP had issued two notices to Mr Buzdar over alleged increase in his assets, but he submitted a reply only after these notices were made public by the media. “I challenge Mr Buzdar to bring forth facts about his assets,” she declared, and asked the chief minister what kind of magic wand he possessed that caused such a huge increase in his assets.

Firdous says all of CM’s properties declared

Ms Bokhari further said that Mr Buzdar’s Principal Secretary Tahir Khursheed had been summoned by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) (in an income beyond means investigation). “Imran Khan introduced JK (Jahangir Khan Tareen) and Buzdar TK (Tahir Khursheed) who worked at their (bosses’) behest,” she remarked.

Earlier, Ms Bokhari had alleged that Mr Buzdar and Mr Khursheed minted money in the award of contracts of development projects and posting and transfer of bureaucrats. She had also called Mr Khursheed a “front man” of Mr Buzdar.

Following her allegations, CM Buzdar had served a legal notice on her, asking her to tender an apology for levelling “baseless” allegations or face a suit for damages worth Rs250 million.

Azma Bokhari asked the National Accountability Bureau why it was not grilling Mr Buzdar in the liquor licence case and sugar scam in which the provincial government had issued billions of rupees in subsidy.

Meanwhile, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, in a statement, lashed out at Ms Bokhari for levelling “baseless accusations” against the chief minister, saying the PML-N spokeswoman “should be ashamed of herself”.

Replying to Ms Bokhari’s claims, Dr Awan said Mr Buzdar had already sent the PML-N leader a legal notice over her “fake and baseless allegations” that she should reply to.

Regarding the car Ms Bokhari pointed out, Dr Awan said it belonged to Mr Buzdar’s father after whose death the CM got its possession. She said Mr Buzdar’s assets had already been declared to the ECP and Federal Board of Revenue and he had never made a false declaration.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2021