Hina Pervaiz Butt responds to Azma Bokhari, says personal opinion was wrongly linked to government’s embarrassment

Punjab Assembly member and Chairperson of the Punjab Women Protection Authority Hina Pervaiz Butt has responded to a statement

LAHORE:  Punjab Assembly member and Chairperson of the Punjab Women Protection Authority Hina Pervaiz Butt has responded to a statement by Provincial Information Minister Azma Bokhari, saying that describing her personal opinion as a lack of understanding and linking it to embarrassment for the government was unnecessary.

In a press statement, Hina clarified that her social media post reflected her personal views and emotions and was neither a charge sheet against the government nor criticism of any institution.

She explained that her tweet stating, “This is Maryam Nawaz’s government, where justice is delivered immediately,” was intended to express her personal perspective. She said the criticism directed at her over the post was unnecessary because it was not meant to challenge the government or question the performance of any institution.

Hina said she respected her colleague Azma Bokhari and acknowledged that, as provincial information minister, Bukhari was responsible for communicating government policies and defending the administration’s position.

However, Hina maintained that dismissing her personal opinion as a lack of understanding or suggesting that it had caused embarrassment to the government was unwarranted.

She also rejected the suggestion that her social media remarks had brought any embarrassment to the provincial government, reiterating that the post was an expression of her own feelings rather than an attempt to create controversy.

Personal Views Based on Meetings With Victims’ Families

The Punjab Women Protection Authority chairperson further explained that her remarks were shaped by her interactions with families whose children had suffered serious crimes.

Hina said she regularly meets the families of children who have experienced grave criminal incidents and has witnessed their suffering, emotional distress and continued hope for justice.

According to her, these meetings have given her an opportunity to understand the pain experienced by affected families and the importance they attach to receiving timely justice.

She emphasised that the sentiments expressed in her tweet were a reflection of the emotions she had experienced while meeting these families.

Hina maintained that her intention was not to criticise any institution, question the government’s authority or cause embarrassment to the provincial administration. Rather, she said, the post conveyed her personal feelings about the expectations of families seeking justice for their children.

Calls Her Statement a Personal Expression

Reiterating her position, Hina said her social media account was used to express her own views, and her statement should be understood in that context rather than interpreted as an official political declaration or an attack on the government.

She also stressed that respecting a colleague’s responsibilities did not mean that every personal expression should be characterised as criticism of the administration.

The exchange followed Azma Bokhari’s remarks about Hina’s social media post, prompting the Punjab Assembly member to clarify the purpose and meaning behind her words.

Hina concluded that her tweet was based on the feelings she had developed through interactions with families affected by serious crimes. She maintained that it was intended to reflect their pain and expectations regarding justice, rather than to undermine any institution or place the provincial government in an embarrassing position.