LAHORE: The Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (TTAP) Punjab has criticised the Punjab government over Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s recent trip to London, terming the administration’s defence of the journey a ‘confession’ rather than an explanation.
In a statement issued on Friday, TTAP Punjab Information Secretary Shayan Bashir called for full transparency regarding the authorisation of Rs10 billion state aircraft for private use. He urged the Chief Minister to provide official receipts instead of mere verbal assurances.
Bashir stated that the Punjab government’s defence of Maryam Nawaz’s London trip does not constitute a satisfactory answer but rather an admission of wrongdoing. He demanded an explanation of how Rs10 billion state aircraft was used for a private visit, emphasising that simply saying the expenses were “paid from her pocket” is inadequate; it is merely a slogan and not a valid receipt.
He posed five critical questions to the Chief Minister: under what rule was a state aircraft released for private use, and who signed the order? How much was paid for this use, at what rate, and into which government account? Where is the invoice? Why was the aircraft, justified in February as an Air Punjab asset, now being used to fly the Chief Minister to London for a private trip? And, if everything was above board, why has her government responded to inquiries about the plane with threats of defamation suits?
“A state aircraft is not a family car, and public office is not a family inheritance. Luxury trips on public aircraft while ordinary citizens struggle with rising fuel and living costs clearly indicate whom this government serves,” he stated.
He further emphasised that the burden of proof lies with the Chief Minister; a government that cannot justify its mandate should at least be accountable for its flights. “In London, the Chief Minister claimed that Punjab is threatened by incompetence; on that point, and only that, we agree.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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