Former Punjab chief minister Usman Buzdar on Monday responded to the claims made by current provincial chief executive Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, saying that criticising him was equivalent to criticising the PTI’s narrative.

Buzdar’s statement came a day after Elahi, in an exclusive interview with ARY News, had rejected PTI chief Imran Khan’s continuous criticism of former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa.

In the same interview, Elahi had also blamed Buzdar for poor governance in Punjab, adding that he had neglected Gujrat, the stronghold of Elahi’s Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q).

“I saw that Buzdar ruined everything in four years,” Elahi said. “I had to fix everything. Even Rescue 1122 was ruined.”

Speaking to the media outside an accountability court in Lahore today, Buzdar said that he was “completely satisfied” with the performance of his Punjab government.

“During my tenure, the province witnessed record development,” he said. “I provided every district with a [development] package.”

Buzdar further said that he never targeted his political opponents, saying he had always respected his colleagues and would continue to do so.

“I have a lot to say but the time is not right,” Buzdar said. “I respect everyone. I’ve never spoken against anyone.”

He also dispelled the impression that CM Elahi had favoured him in any way in the past. He clarified that Elahi was not the chief minister when he became the tehsil nazim during former president Pervez Musharraf’s era.