Usman Buzdar or Parvez Elahi: Who will be PTI's candidate for Punjab CM?

• Imran Khan refuses to name Punjab CM candidate.
• I have learned from my mistakes, says PTI chief.
• Blames Bajwa for running campaign against Usman Buzdar.

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Sunday denied revealing the name of the party's candidate for the coveted slot of Punjab's chief minister, saying it would "start a race among the hopefuls".

“After learning from all the mistakes, I will name a chief minister who will take the province up,” the former prime minister said while speaking during an interview with a private news channel. 

Khan also broke the silence on the backlash he has been receiving from within over the distribution of tickets for the Punjab Assembly and explained reasons for not giving tickets to senior party leaders including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhry, Hammad Azhar and Shahbaz Gill.

The former premier last week approved PTI tickets for the provincial legislature, sparking a heated debate among the party leaders after which the review committee was reconstituted to look into the matter.

Former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry had expressed his displeasure over the denial of the ticket, saying he would be surprised if Usman Buzdar is again made the chief minister despite all that had happened under his watch in the country’s largest province.

“I need Shah Mahmood, Fawad Chaudhry and Hammad Azhar in the Centre,” Imran Khan told the anchorperson.

If everyone goes to Punjab, then who will be in the Centre, the PTI chief asked, adding the federal government is the engine to run the country.

In response to another question regarding former chief minister Usman Buzdar, Imran Khan said, “When the government was formed in Punjab [in 2018] three groups emerged in PTI, so Usman Buzdar was made the chief minister”.

The former premier also blamed ex-army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa for running a campaign against Buzdar.

“General Bajwa campaigned against Usman Buzdar. He wanted to make Aleem Khan the chief minister of Punjab.”

The PTI chief also blamed Aleem Khan for land grabbing.

“Lahore Development Authority gave a presentation that Aleem Khan had illegally occupied lands in the city.”

According to the list issued by the PTI of its ticket holders, the main figures who seem in the race for the slot of Punjab CM in case the party wins the provincial assembly elections include PTI President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, former chief minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Mian Aslam Iqbal and Mian Mehmoodul Rasheed.