Shafay Stands by Salik Amid Maryam Row

Shafay stands by Salik. Punjab Commerce and Investment Minister Shafay Hussain said on Thursday he would never distance himself from his younger brother, come what may, as a row over corruption remarks against the Punjab government deepens.

Mr Shafay, of the PML-Q, told Dawn on Thursday that he would never distance himself from his brother. “I have and will never distance myself from my younger brother. My brother is an independent person with his own independent views,” he said.

The statement comes days after Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz served a Rs5 billion defamation notice on Salik Hussain, the federal minister for overseas Pakistanis, over his corruption allegations against her government. The notice demands that he retract his remarks. Salik has maintained that he will respond to the notice.

Shafay stands by Salik: what he said in his brother’s defence

Mr Shafay said his brother might be privy to information about corruption that he himself was not aware of.

“Salik Hussain never named Maryam Nawaz and never intended to say anything about her nor the Punjab government, but I believe he was referring to the systematic corruption that we all agree exists,” he said.

He added that all politicians should be “more tolerant and should sit together to clear things”, and hoped both sides would try to defuse the row and clear the misunderstandings.

No plan to remove Shafay from the cabinet

On Wednesday, Information and Culture Minister Azma Bokhari said the government had no plan to remove Mr Shafay from the Punjab cabinet.

“Shafay Hussain’s recent interviews have been supportive of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, so we have no plan to denotify him from the Punjab cabinet. Shafay Hussain has rejected Salik’s allegations,” Ms Bokhari said, responding to Dawn’s queries.

Her remarks had suggested a split between the brothers, with Mr Shafay seen as backing the chief minister while his brother faced the defamation notice. His statement on Thursday closes that gap, at least in public.

A family split that goes back to 2022

The row sits on top of a political split inside the Chaudhry family that followed the ouster of Imran Khan’s government through a no-confidence vote in 2022.

Chaudhry Parvez Elahi and his son, former federal minister Moonis Elahi, aligned themselves with the PTI. Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain’s sons, Salik and Shafay, chose to side with the Sharifs.

That choice put the brothers in the PML-N-led camp, and Mr Shafay now holds a cabinet post in the Punjab government led by Maryam Nawaz. The defamation notice against his brother has tested that arrangement in public.

Feature Pakistan reported on November 3 that the chief minister had served the Rs5bn notice on Salik. Khawaja Asif also weighed in on Salik’s remarks the next day, and the exchange grew into an open war of words between the PML-N and the PML-Q on November 5.

What happens next

Salik Hussain has said he will respond to the defamation notice. Mr Shafay has urged both sides to sit together and clear the air.

For now, the Punjab cabinet keeps both camps in place. Mr Shafay stays a minister, and his brother remains a federal minister facing a Rs5bn claim. Whether the matter is settled through talks or ends up in court will decide how far the row goes. The chief minister has hit back at criticism before, and neither side has shown any sign of backing down.

Dawn reported Mr Shafay’s remarks on Thursday.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Shafay Hussain?

Shafay Hussain is the Punjab Commerce and Investment Minister and a PML-Q leader. He is the elder brother of Salik Hussain, the federal minister for overseas Pakistanis.

Why did Maryam Nawaz send a defamation notice to Salik Hussain?

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz served a Rs5 billion defamation notice on Salik Hussain over his corruption allegations against her government, and demanded that he retract his remarks.

What did Shafay say about his brother’s remarks?

Shafay said his brother never named Maryam Nawaz and was referring to systematic corruption. He said Salik was an independent person with his own views, and that he stands by him.

Will Shafay be removed from the Punjab cabinet?

Information Minister Azma Bokhari said the government has no plan to denotify Shafay Hussain from the Punjab cabinet, citing his supportive interviews about the chief minister.