LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari has termed the criticism of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s statement on terrorism unjustified, saying that a clear security concern raised by the chief minister was unnecessarily being given a political and provincial colour.
“Fight against terrorism is a collective responsibility of the entire nation and all provinces, and it is highly unfortunate to view this national challenge through the lens of provincialism or politics,” she said.
Azma Bokhari said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, while addressing an event, had highlighted an important security concern regarding the threat of terrorism. She said the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and other law-enforcement agencies in Punjab were continuously monitoring terrorist elements, proscribed organisations and their networks.
She said the chief minister had expressed concern in this context that the threat posed by terrorist elements and proxies entering the country through external borders must also be taken seriously.
The minister said Pakistan’s armed forces had repeatedly demonstrated their capability to defend the country, including during the recent Marka-e-Haq. Pakistan had no reason to fear any country; however, elements unable to confront Pakistan directly were attempting to create instability through proxies, and this threat could not be ignored, she added.
Azma Bokhari said terrorism was not an issue confined to any single province but a challenge facing the entire country. Whether in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Punjab or Sindh, an effective strategy and coordinated action were essential to eliminate terrorism and ensure peace.
She said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz wanted peace to prevail in all provinces, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and believed that terrorist sleeper cells and networks should be dismantled there in the same way as they had been eliminated in Punjab.
The minister said the Punjab government had equipped its institutions with modern technology, improved surveillance mechanisms and effective resources to improve the law-and-order situation. The coordinated operation in the Katcha areas was a prominent example of this strategy, where organised action against criminal elements exploiting inter-provincial boundaries had brought significant improvement.
She said the Punjab government’s effective strategy had resulted in a decline of more than 70 percent in crimes against property. Measures to enhance police capacity, provide modern equipment and technology, and strengthen surveillance were aimed at providing a safer environment to the people.
Azma Bokhari said it was unacceptable for any provincial government to abandon its responsibility for maintaining law and order and leave it entirely to federal institutions or the Pakistan Army. Under the Constitution and law, provincial governments and their relevant institutions also have a fundamental responsibility to maintain peace and security.
Criticising the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, she said that if there was genuine concern for the dignity and rights of the Pashtun people, it should be demonstrated through practical measures rather than statements and political propaganda.
She said providing quality education, scholarships, laptops, better roads and basic facilities to Pashtun youth was equally important. Problems could not be resolved by depriving people of basic facilities and focusing solely on political narratives.
The minister said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had provided practical support not only to the people of Punjab but also to people and law-enforcement agencies in other provinces. Punjab’s support, including a Rs10 billion package for law-enforcement agencies in Balochistan on different occasions, demonstrated that Maryam Nawaz’s politics was based on national unity and public service rather than provincialism.
Azma Bokhari said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz did not believe in the politics of provincialism. Their desire was for every province of Pakistan to be peaceful, secure and prosperous.
She said if Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was facing terrorism, Maryam Nawaz was equally concerned about the situation there, just as she was about law and order in Punjab.
The minister said Maryam Nawaz neither needed a certificate of patriotism from anyone nor needed to prove her intentions through anyone’s political narrative. Her commitment to patriotism, national unity and the welfare of other provinces had been demonstrated repeatedly through practical steps rather than mere words.
Azma Bokhari said Maryam Nawaz had always responded to criticism and negative propaganda through her performance. The initiatives taken in Punjab in the areas of law and order, education, healthcare and public welfare were clear evidence that the government’s focus was on practical measures rather than political rhetoric, she added
She said distorting the Chief Minister’s security concern and turning it into an issue of provincialism served no one’s interests. The fight against terrorism required national unity and a coordinated strategy above political differences. Those waging a proxy war against Pakistan could not be defeated through political point-scoring, she said, adding that effective institutional action, a coordinated strategy and national unity were essential to counter such threats.
The minister made it clear that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz was not against any province; rather, she was against terrorism and instability. Her objective was to make the whole of Pakistan safe, and for this purpose, she neither needed nor was dependent on anyone’s certificate of patriotism.
Moreover, Azma said that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has declared a jihad against corruption, and eliminating corruption from all government departments across Punjab remains her mission.
An indiscriminate crackdown against corruption is under way across Punjab, with 54 officers and officials so far suspended or dismissed from service.
Azma Bokhari said that 48 officers and officials had been arrested in the Food Department alone, while six employees had been dismissed from service. Disciplinary proceedings against 14 food controllers are also under way.
The Information Minister said that a contractor was arrested for overcharging at the parking facility of Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur, while the overcharging contract at THQ Hospital, Chichawatni, had been cancelled.
Azma Bokhari said corruption had become a social menace, and the Punjab government had initiated effective measures to eliminate it. She stressed that the crackdown against corruption was being carried out without discrimination and that no one would be unfairly targeted.
She said the people stood with Maryam Nawaz in the fight against corruption and that the Punjab government’s crackdown was receiving widespread public appreciation.
Azma Bokhari said Maryam Nawaz had ensured implementation of every decision she had taken and had never been deterred by criticism or negative propaganda.
The minister said false propaganda and personal attacks had not weakened Maryam Nawaz; instead, they had made her stronger and more resilient.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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