Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistan Chaudhry Salik Hussain stated on Wednesday that his party will provide a "proper response" to a legal notice served by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. The notice follows Hussain's allegations regarding massive financial corruption within the country's largest province. Speaking to reporters after a National Assembly session, Hussain, whose party (PML-Q) is a coalition partner of the ruling PML-N, said he had heard of the notice and would respond once it was received.
Hussain denied claims that he recommended appointing a specific official as the deputy commissioner of his native district, Gujrat. When asked if he had discussed the matter with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Hussain did not give a direct answer, stating only that his party would respond to the legal notice. Regarding whether the dispute would affect his brother, Chaudhry Shafay Hussain, who serves in Maryam Nawaz's cabinet, Hussain claimed his remarks were personal and that he had not spoken to his brother before or after the interview.
When questioned about evidence for his claims, Hussain stated that CM Maryam Nawaz herself acknowledged the existence of corruption in Punjab a day earlier.
The Punjab Minister for Information, Azma Bukhari, previously urged Hussain to either provide proof of corruption or offer an apology. Bukhari stated that as a federal minister and part of the government, it does not suit Hussain to make baseless allegations without evidence. She further claimed that Hussain had admitted to recommending the Gujrat deputy commissioner appointment a day prior but was now backtracking. Bukhari told Hussain, "Enjoy your status, but you cannot continue making allegations. This will not work," and noted that his brother had rejected the allegations the previous day.
PML-Q Central Information Secretary Ghulam Mustafa Malik responded to Bukhari by stating that being part of the ruling alliance does not require remaining silent on possible irregularities. Malik argued that attempts to divert attention to the Gujrat appointment would not work, noting that questions regarding the use of official aircraft and national resources remain unanswered. He stated that if public resources are used for personal purposes, questions will inevitably be raised.
Hussain told The Express Tribune that his party had been publicly challenged and was compelled to respond in kind, stating, "We will present evidence of corruption, as the Maryam Nawaz government wants." He clarified that his party had not leveled specific charges against Maryam Nawaz, as his previous statements were general. He noted that the Punjab information minister and the chief minister were quick to target him in the controversy.
On X, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif offered a conciliatory view, stating he holds Salik and his family in high esteem but could not comprehend the corruption allegations. Asif suggested the only way to interpret Salik's statement was as a political move to create more space for the PML-Q in the Centre and Punjab by targeting the CM's government.
