Maryam vows to ‘cleanse minds’ amid escalating PPP–PML-N row
“Maryam Nawaz defended touting Punjab’s progress and challenged critics.”
Key points
- Maryam Nawaz defended touting Punjab’s progress and challenged critics.
- Row with PPP deepens over flood relief and governance issues.
- Punjab’s Azma Bokhari rejected demands for an apology.
- Zardari asked Mohsin Naqvi to mediate; PTI floated backing a no-trust bid.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz escalated a war of words with political rivals on Tuesday, saying her administration is not only cleaning the province of crime and filth but also “cleansing the minds” of those who, in her view, resent Punjab’s progress. Speaking at a ceremony, she argued that as chief minister she must advocate for her province and urged citizens to question their own governments over poor services.
The exchange follows a dispute with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) over flood relief mechanisms and other governance issues. The PPP has pushed for using the Benazir Income Support Programme for aid — a proposal rejected by the Punjab government — and criticised Maryam’s remarks on Sindh.
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari dismissed calls for an apology from the chief minister, while PPP leaders continued their rebuttals, insisting alliance did not mean subservience. Meanwhile, sources said President Asif Ali Zardari tasked Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi with helping lower tensions between the PML-N and PPP, with a meeting expected with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to seek his role in mediation.
Amid the friction, PTI leaders suggested they could back the PPP in a potential no-confidence move, even as some opposition figures predicted the dispute would cool without altering the governing setup.
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