LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari on Sunday hit back strongly at Sindh Minister Sharjeel Memon’s recent remarks, accepting his challenge for a live debate.
“I accept your debate challenge — the time and place will be of your choosing, but you must come yourself. Don’t hide behind any proxy,” she asserted.
Azma said that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Sharjeel Memon’s attempt to exploit Punjab’s flood situation for political gain has “completely failed”. She accused PPP of resorting to a ‘Phuphay Kutni-style’ (gossip-driven behaviour) against the prime minister of Pakistan and questioned whether “the prime minister told you to play politics on the misery of Punjab’s flood victims”.
Sharjeel accuses Punjab govt of ‘conspiring’ against Centre
She reminded that Bilawal Bhutto, during his tenure as foreign minister, weakened his own party, the federal government, and the prime minister, saying “the nation remembers this clearly”.
Accusing PPP of conspiring against both Punjab and the federation, Azma said the party hides behind provincialism whenever questioned about its performance. “They have turned the south Punjab card and the Benazir Income Support Programme card into tools of political blackmail; this is not politics, it is filth,” she remarked.
Azma Bokhari stated that south Punjab today is more developed than many areas of interior Sindh, yet the PPP continues to push an anti-Punjab narrative. “Bilawal, Aseefa, and the entire PPP leadership constantly address Punjab when talking about BISP, yet claim they’re speaking to the federation,” she added.
She further criticised PPP for avoiding accountability on issues like Karachi’s garbage crisis, broken infrastructure, and corruption in solar projects by “hiding behind linguistic and ‘Marsoon Marsoon [We’ll die (for Sindh)]’ slogans”.
“Stop interfering in Punjab’s matters and don’t act innocent,” she warned, adding that blackmailing the federation and Punjab through threats and paid protests had become PPP’s hallmark. “Who are you to dictate Punjab? Keep your advice and deadlines with you,” she added.
Azma Bokhari assured that Punjab’s upcoming local government elections would be “transparent and people-driven, unlike the bogus elections held in Karachi”.
Commenting on the water dispute, she said PPP’s slogan of “My water, my choice” mirrors the old “Marsoon Marsoon, Pani Na Desoon [We’ll die but dn not give (river) water” rhetoric. “You can’t cry about water day and night and then dictate how Punjab should use it — that will not happen,” she asserted.
She further said that PPP’s insecurity over Maryam Nawaz’s rising popularity was evident from their decision to hold a press conference on a holiday.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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