Lahore: Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari on Wednesday called on Federal Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain to resign from the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML N) led government if he intended to continue accusing the Punjab administration of corruption, deepening a dispute between the ruling coalition partners.
Bokhari, responding to allegations raised by the Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML Q) leader, questioned how he could seek development funds from the provincial government while publicly criticising its performance and integrity.
She accused Salik of practising “hypocritical politics” and challenged him to leave the federal cabinet and join the opposition rather than remain part of the governing coalition. The confrontation follows Salik's criticism of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz's administration over alleged corruption, government spending and the distribution of development funds, particularly in his home district of Gujrat.
Salik has argued that Gujrat received greater development attention during the tenure of former chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, his uncle. Maryam rejected the allegations and issued a Rs 5 billion defamation notice to the federal minister earlier this month, demanding that he withdraw his remarks.
Bokhari questioned Salik's failure to respond to the notice after a week and accused him of undermining the Chaudhry family's political standing through his statements. She also defended the provincial government's development record in Gujrat, claiming that Maryam's administration had delivered projects exceeding those undertaken by the Chaudhry family during its years in politics.
Rana Sanaullah, the prime minister's adviser on political affairs, also criticised Salik's remarks, attributing his position to political influences.
Salik rejects criticism, vows legal response
Responding in an interview with Geo News on Wednesday, Salik maintained that he stood by his allegations and would present evidence when responding to the defamation notice. He rejected the suggestion that his position in the federal cabinet prevented him from questioning the Punjab government's performance.
Salik said he had attempted to resolve the disagreement through Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, but the exchange of statements from provincial ministers had complicated those efforts. He also complained that neither Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif nor other senior PML-N leaders had contacted him to address the dispute.
The federal minister clarified that he had not directly accused Maryam Nawaz of corruption, maintaining that his remarks concerned governance issues within the province. He further accused the chief minister of making personal remarks about his family and said he would not withdraw his statements.
The disagreement also involves the appointment of Gujrat's deputy commissioner. Maryam previously alleged that Salik's criticism was linked to her decision to replace the district's administrative head. Salik disputed the claim, saying his interview had been recorded on September 25, before the appointment of a new deputy commissioner on October 31.
He also alleged that the Punjab government had withdrawn security personnel assigned to his residence in Gujrat following the controversy.
The exchange has drawn attention to relations between the PML N and PML Q, which remain partners in the federal and Punjab governments. Salik serves as federal minister for overseas Pakistanis, while his elder brother, Chaudhry Shafay Hussain, holds a ministerial portfolio in Maryam's Punjab cabinet.
The brothers belong to the family of PML Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, whose political alliance with the Sharifs has continued despite divisions within the wider Chaudhry family. The dispute has exposed disagreements over development priorities, accountability and the ability of coalition partners to criticise governments in which they hold office.
While Bokhari has demanded Salik's resignation, the PML Q leader has indicated that his party's participation in the coalition is based on an agreement and that any decision to end the partnership rests with the PML N.
No announcement has been made regarding a change in the coalition arrangement. The corruption allegations remain disputed, and the legal notice has not established wrongdoing by either party.
The confrontation now places the focus on whether the coalition partners can resolve their differences through political negotiations or whether the dispute will proceed through legal channels.
