LAHORE – Usman Ahmed Buzdar has become the first non-Muslim Leaguer whohas taken oath as elected Chief Minister of Punjab since 1985.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has become the only party which hasn’t only endedthe decade long rule of the PML-N in Punjab but also snatched the crown ofPunjab from Muslim League, whose different factions have been fieldingtheir candidates for CM slot since 1985 and constantly winning the poll.

Thirty-three years ago, in 1985, Nawaz Sharif took oath as the elected CMof Punjab after the non-party basis elections. Nawaz belonged to the MuslimLeague which had the complete backing of then dictator and President GenZiaul Haq.Other noted flag-bearers of that Muslim League included MohammadKhan Junejo and Iqbal Ahmed Khan.

In 1988, Nawaz Sharif as the candidate of Islami Jamhuri Ittehad, anine-party alliance whose major political party was Muslim League onceagain got elected as Chief Minister.

Nawaz held the office of Chief Minister till 1990. After Nawaz, it wasanother Muslim Leaguer from Mian Channu, district Khanewal Ghulam HyderWyne who got elected and took oath as Chief Minister. Ghulam Hyder Wyne wonthe Punjab Assembly election as the IJI candidate and with the support ofallies, he was elected as CM in 1990.

Ghulam Hyder Wyne held the office till 1992 after a revolt within his ownparliamentary party deprived him of the office and it was former Speaker ofPunjab Assembly and another Muslim Leaguer, Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo whogot elected as Chief Minister. Wattoo held the office till the dissolutionof assemblies in 1993.

After the 1993 general elections, PPP won major chunk of seats in Punjabbut its dream to form government in Punjab wasn’t materialised as one ofthe PML factions that Muslim League-J, with only 16 seats got the ChiefMinister slot and most of the ministries. Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo, who had gotelected as an MPA on the PML-J ticket once again became the Chief Ministerof Punjab.

He held the office till 1995 after which his ties became severed with PPPand he had to lose the CM slot. There were high chances that any of the PPPMPA would be announced as the new Leader of the House but once again, aMuslim Leaguer in form of Arif Nakai took oath as Chief Minister. ArifNakai was an elected MPA of PML-J from Kasur and PPP, despite possessingmost of the seats in PA had to compromise with its ally.

In 1997 general elections, PML-N won the polls with a thumping majority andlike centre, Sindh, NWFP, it also formed government in Punjab and this timeit was Shahbaz Sharif’s turn to lead the House.

Shahbaz Sharif got elected as Chief Minister Punjab and in this way,another Muslim Leaguer held the office. Shahbaz served as CM till October12, 1999 after which emergency was imposed. General elections in the era ofPresident Gen Pervez Musharraf were held in October 2002 after which,Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, provincial President of PML-Q comfortably gotelected as Chief Minister Punjab and another Muslim Leaguer took oath as CM.

Pervaiz Elahi held the office till 2007 and after the February 2008elections, Muslim League Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party formed acoalition government in Punjab and being the major share holder, PML-N gotthe Chief Minister slot.

PML-N’s MPA elected from Dera Ghazi Khan Sardar Dost Mohammed Khan Khosatook oath as CM and there was another Muslim Leaguer in the CM House again.After two months, Shahbaz Sharif, after getting elected in by-election tookoath as chief minister and he continued to hold the office for next 10years, between 2008-2013 and 2013-2018.

In 2018 general elections, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf won major chunk ofseats in Punjab and for the first time in three decades, it was a firstnon-Muslim Leaguer in form of Usman Buzdar who took oath as CM.