Gujrat: Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PMLQ) lawmaker Chaudhry Hussain Elahi accused Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz of withholding development funds for his constituency, intensifying a political dispute between PMLQ leaders and its coalition partner, the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN).
Addressing a public gathering at Qila Islam Nagar near Tanda, Hussain Elahi claimed that the Punjab government failed to release Rs 3 billion allocated for development projects initiated during former chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi’s tenure in 2022.
He alleged that several roads in his constituency remained incomplete or in poor condition for four years, while development spending was increasingly concentrated in Lahore.
Hussain Elahi also questioned what he described as the provincial government’s Rs 11 billion expenditures on an aircraft for the chief minister, arguing that completing public infrastructure projects should take priority.
The figures and allegations concerning the withheld funds were not independently established.
Dispute follows Salik Hussain’s criticism.
The latest confrontation follows criticism of the Punjab administration by Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain, who earlier questioned development spending and alleged corruption in the provincial government.
Salik praised former chief minister Parvez Elahi’s development record during a television interview, arguing that resources should be distributed fairly among districts.
Maryam Nawaz rejected his allegations and issued him a Rs 5 billion defamation notice, challenging him to substantiate his claims.
She also suggested that the dispute arose from her decision to replace the Gujrat deputy commissioner, alleging that Salik wanted an official of his choice appointed.
Salik’s cousin Hussain Elahi backed the broader criticism, warning that he could take the provincial government to court over incomplete development schemes.
He also alleged irregularities in the Suthra Punjab and Model Village initiatives. No independent findings establishing those allegations were presented in the reports reviewed.
Punjab government rejects allegations
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari responded by questioning the Chaudhry family’s development record, as members held senior political offices for decades.
She argued that political figures who previously governed Punjab and represented Gujrat should account for their own performance before criticising the current administration.
Bokhari said the Maryam led government allocated Rs 12 billion for Gujrat, including a major sewerage scheme.
She also cited the Rs 9.8 billion Gujrat Sargodha Road project, covering construction and rehabilitation work along a 94.3 kilometre route and the dualization of a 27.9 kilometre section in Mandi Bahauddin.
These figures represent the provincial government’s account of its development commitments.
The exchange exposed tensions within the governing coalition and within the Chaudhry family. Neither side announced a resolution to the dispute over Gujrat’s development allocations.
