Marriyum Aurangzeb backs Maryam over UK trip

Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb has defended Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz over her recent trip to the United Kingdom on a government aircraft and her controversial remarks about security threats linked to the movement of terrorists from other provinces.

Maryam travelled to London last week to attend her daughter’s graduation ceremony and returned to Lahore on Wednesday. A motion submitted in the Punjab Assembly put the cost of the trip at around Rs12.5 million, while the chief minister travelled on a government-owned luxury aircraft.

Defending the chief minister, Aurangzeb said the controversy surrounding the government plane and Maryam’s security remarks was being used to divert attention from her performance and growing popularity.

In a post on social media, the senior minister maintained that Maryam would personally bear the expenses of her London visit, describing the matter as insignificant.

Aurangzeb also criticised those using the chief minister’s remarks to create hostility and deepen divisions among the provinces. She called for an end to what she described as attempts to exploit the issue for political purposes.

The Punjab minister further hit out at the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government spokesperson, describing his comments as irresponsible rhetoric and accusing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters of using offensive language against women.

She said the people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had a proud tradition of respecting women and argued that political differences should not be used to target mothers, sisters and daughters.

The controversy intensified after Maryam’s remarks about counterterrorism were criticised for suggesting that the movement of militants from other provinces posed a greater threat to Punjab than neighbouring countries.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly subsequently passed a resolution seeking action against the Punjab chief minister under Article 6 of the Constitution.

Aurangzeb had earlier said Maryam’s comments were being deliberately taken out of context and portrayed negatively on social media. She maintained that the chief minister was referring to the movement of terrorists across provincial boundaries and that her statement was being turned into a provincial and ethnic controversy for political gain.

PTI, meanwhile, strongly criticised Maryam’s remarks, claiming they reflected an attempt to create divisions within the country.

The opposition party also accused the Sharif family of showing greater hostility towards Pakistan’s smaller provinces than towards neighbouring countries. PTI described the chief minister’s comments as irresponsible and said a provincial leader should not portray other provinces as a security threat.