Punjab minister in Pakistan defends Maryam Nawaz amid criticism
In Pakistan, Punjab’s senior provincial minister, Marriyum Aurangzeb, defended the province’s chief minister, Maryam Nawaz, amid criticism over the use of a government jet for a private trip to London and her remarks about security threats from neighboring provinces. Dawn reports.
Trip to London
In a post on X, Aurangzeb said that the subject of criticism was not the jet or Maryam Nawaz’s remarks, but her work and growing popularity. She also said it had previously been reported that the Punjab chief minister intended to cover the expenses of her trip to London.
Last week, Maryam Nawaz traveled to London for the graduation ceremony of her daughter, Mahnoor, and returned to Lahore on Wednesday. The Punjab government insists that the chief minister paid all expenses for the trip herself.
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Reaction to security statement
Maryam Nawaz’s earlier remarks that Punjab faces a greater security threat from neighboring provinces than from neighboring countries also drew criticism. On Friday, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial assembly adopted a resolution by majority vote calling for action against her under Article 6 of Pakistan’s Constitution.
According to Dawn, during the session, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Shafi Jan made derogatory and sexist remarks about Maryam Nawaz and Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari. Aurangzeb criticized his words and said that those using the chief minister’s remarks to spread hostility between provinces and division in society should apologize to the public.
Jan’s remarks were also publicly condemned by PML-N representative Samar Haroon Bilour and journalist Asad Ali Toor.
