Marriyum Aurangzeb Defends Maryam Nawaz Amid Growing Criticism

LAHORE, September 12, 2026: Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Saturday that recent criticism of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz was driven by her growing political popularity and performance.

“The issue these days is not the plane or Maryam Nawaz’s statement; the real issue is with Maryam Nawaz’s performance and her rising popularity,” Aurangzeb said in a post on X.

London Visit Expenses

Aurangzeb said the Punjab government had already clarified that Maryam Nawaz would personally bear the expenses of her London visit.

The chief minister travelled to London last week to attend the graduation ceremony of her daughter, Mahnoor. She returned to Lahore on Wednesday.

The Punjab government has maintained that Maryam Nawaz paid for the trip herself.

The use of a government aircraft for the visit had sparked criticism and questions over the use of state resources.

Controversial Security Remarks

The controversy also followed remarks by Maryam Nawaz about security threats facing Punjab.

She had said Punjab faced a greater security threat from neighbouring provinces than from neighbouring countries.

The comments drew strong criticism, particularly from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The KP Assembly passed a majority resolution on Friday seeking action against the Punjab chief minister under Article 6 of the Constitution. The assembly also suspended its regular agenda during the proceedings.

Aurangzeb Condemns Political Rhetoric

Aurangzeb urged those using Maryam Nawaz’s remarks to create hatred between provinces to apologise to the public.

She also criticised KP Information Minister Shafi Jan over remarks directed at Maryam Nawaz and Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari.

Aurangzeb described the comments as offensive and accused PTI leaders of promoting a culture of abusive language against women.

She said political disagreements should not lead to insults against women or deepen divisions between provinces.

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Criticism of Shafi Jan

Shafi Jan also faced criticism from political figures and journalists over his remarks.

PML-N leader Samar Haroon Bilour criticised the comments in a post on X.

Journalist Asad Ali Toor also condemned the statement and called for an unconditional apology to Azma Bokhari and Pakistani women.

Former PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry also criticised Jan’s remarks. He described them as shameful and said women should not face such language in political debates.

The controversy has added to tensions between Punjab and KP at a time when political differences between the two provinces remain sharp.