Azma Salik Spat: Quit Ministry, Says Azma Bokhari
The Azma Salik spat took a sharper turn on Wednesday, when Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari challenged federal minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain to give up his ministry instead of attacking the Punjab government while sitting in the ruling coalition.
Ms Bokhari said Mr Salik could not keep accusing the provincial government of corruption and, at the same time, demand development funds from it. Mr Salik hit back in a television interview, blaming her for wrecking an attempt to settle the row and vowing to fight a Rs5 billion defamation suit filed by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
Azma calls it hypocritical politics
Accusing Mr Salik of practising “hypocritical politics”, Ms Bokhari asked what he hoped to gain by alleging corruption in the Punjab government while seeking funds from the same government.
She said his remarks suggested he had “lost his senses”. She said he was behaving less like a member of the influential Chaudhry family and more like someone indulging in street-level bickering. Those who insulted women, she said, could hardly claim to uphold political decorum.
Ms Bokhari also questioned why he had not answered the defamation notice issued by the chief minister, noting that a week had passed without any reply.
“If he cannot respond to the notice, he should resign from his ministerial positions and go home,” she said, challenging him to leave the government and sit on the opposition benches.
“How can someone keep singing the tune of corruption and, at the same time, demand funds? How does one practise such double standards in politics?” she asked.
Rana Sanaullah, the prime minister’s aide on political affairs, also weighed in. He said Mr Salik’s remarks about corruption in the Punjab government reflected the “bad company” he had been keeping.
Salik says Azma spoilt the settlement
For his part, Mr Salik has not only stood by his claims but doubled down on several of them. In an interview broadcast on Geo News on Wednesday, he blamed Ms Bokhari’s earlier outburst against him for derailing an attempt at mending fences through a colleague in the federal cabinet.
He complained that neither Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif nor any other senior PML-N leader had contacted the PML-Q to discuss the escalating dispute.
“I had explained the context of my interview to Federal Information Minister Atta Tarar. Before he could mend things, a Punjab minister spoiled the matter by launching a verbal attack on us,” he said. He added that he had not directly levelled corruption allegations against the chief executive.
He also accused the chief minister of making “below the belt” remarks about his family and vowed to contest her Rs5 billion defamation suit.
“This is the first time in Pakistan’s history that a sitting chief executive of a province has filed a defamation suit against someone. I will not retract my statement, as the chief minister has hurt my self-respect,” Mr Salik said.
He added: “Maryam Nawaz should ask her father about our family.”
How the Azma Salik spat started
The bad blood began when Mr Salik levelled allegations of corruption against the provincial chief executive and alleged discrimination in the award of development funds. He and other members of his extended family claimed the treatment had deprived Gujrat of the kind of development it saw during the tenure of Parvez Elahi.
Feature Pakistan reported that Mr Salik stood by his corruption claims earlier this week, while Maryam Nawaz answered his claims during a visit to Jhelum. Hussain Elahi also criticised the chief minister over development funds, which shows the dispute now runs across the wider Chaudhry family.
The PML-Q currently holds two ministerial positions in the ruling coalition. Mr Salik sits in the federal cabinet, while his elder brother Shafay holds a portfolio in the Punjab cabinet. Shafay has so far kept a cautious stance and refrained from publicly criticising the provincial administration.
That split matters. The PML-Q is a coalition partner, not an opposition party, so a public row with the Punjab government strains the alliance. Rana Sanaullah has already been active on the political front this week, calling for a ceasefire with the JUI-F chief.
What happens next
Neither side has shown any sign of backing down. Ms Bokhari wants a reply to the defamation notice or a resignation. Mr Salik says he will not retract his statement and will fight the Rs5 billion suit in court.
The defamation case will now decide how far the row goes. If it reaches court, both sides will have to defend their claims in public. If the PML-N leadership steps in, the dispute could still be settled inside the coalition. For now, the exchange of words continues, and the coalition carries the strain.
Frequently asked questions
What did Azma Bokhari ask Chaudhry Salik Hussain to do?
She challenged him to resign from his ministerial positions and sit on the opposition benches if he could not answer the defamation notice issued by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
Why is there a row between the PML-N and the PML-Q?
Mr Salik alleged corruption in the Punjab government and discrimination in development funds, saying Gujrat had been deprived of development. The Punjab government rejected the claims and issued him a defamation notice.
How much is the defamation suit worth?
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has filed a Rs5 billion defamation suit against Mr Salik. He has vowed to contest it in court and says he will not retract his statement.
What did Salik say about the settlement attempt?
He said he had explained the context of his interview to Federal Information Minister Atta Tarar, and that a Punjab minister spoilt the matter by launching a verbal attack before the issue could be settled.
Which ministries does the PML-Q hold in the coalition?
The PML-Q holds two ministerial positions. Chaudhry Salik Hussain sits in the federal cabinet, while his elder brother Shafay holds a portfolio in the Punjab cabinet.
