In Pakistan, Bokhari defended Maryam Nawaz after terrorism remarks
In Lahore, Pakistan, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari defended the province’s chief minister, Maryam Nawaz, after criticism of her remarks about terrorist threats. According to Bokhari, critics are deliberately giving the issue a provincial and ethnic dimension, Dawn reports.
Nawaz’s controversial remarks
Last week, speaking about the security situation, Maryam Nawaz said that the threat to Punjab came less from neighboring countries and more from neighboring provinces. Her remarks prompted a sharp reaction, including among political leaders in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, whose residents, according to the publication, have long complained about the consequences of Pakistan’s years-long fight against militants.
In a video address, Bokhari insisted that Nawaz had been referring to militants moving across provincial borders, rather than to any ethnic community. She said that terrorists are not confined to one province and eventually move into Punjab.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Security statements
Bokhari said that militants operating in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa pose a threat to all of Pakistan. She also claimed that some of these groups are supported by India.
According to the minister, the Punjab government has upgraded its counterterrorism department and eliminated terrorist sleeper cells in the province. She also mentioned attacks on police checkpoints in Punjab and said that several law enforcement officers had been killed while confronting militants.
Bokhari stressed that maintaining law and order is primarily the responsibility of provincial authorities. She criticized the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for demanding an apology from Maryam Nawaz, saying that the province’s leadership should focus on countering militants. Nawaz’s remarks became another episode in the political confrontation between the Punjab government and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administration, which is supported by PTI.
