Salik Stands by Punjab Corruption Claims
Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain said on Wednesday he stood by his Punjab corruption claims, and would place his evidence before a court.
The PML-Q leader was speaking on Geo News programme Capital Talk, Dawn reported, days after Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz served him with a Rs5 billion defamation notice demanding a retraction.
“Reality is reality. I stand by it and will continue to,” he said, when asked about his elder brother Shafay serving as a minister in the same Punjab government.
He said he would present evidence before the court with his response to the notice.
“Woman card” and “below the belt”
Geo News reported that Salik advised the chief minister against bringing gender into the dispute. “If you are in politics, then do not play the woman card,” he said.
“I will never withdraw my statement because it is the truth,” he said. “Corruption has not ended after my statement; it has come out more openly.”
He called the chief minister’s latest remarks “below the belt” and said they had worsened the row.
Salik said no government official or PML-N leader had contacted him since the row began, apart from an earlier meeting with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had not contacted him either.
The Gujrat DC question
In her Nov 3 speech, Maryam said Salik’s anger was not about corruption, but about her decision to change the Gujrat deputy commissioner.
Salik rejected that. He said his party had worked well with the former Gujrat deputy commissioner for a year and a half.
“When DCs were being appointed 1.5 years ago, we asked that the official should be experienced in construction and urban development, as the development projects in the region were facing delays,” he said.
His party raised no objection after the new deputy commissioner was appointed, he added. His Lahore interview was recorded on Sept 25, while the deputy commissioner was appointed on Oct 31.
“The Punjab chief minister made these remarks based on incorrect information,” Salik said.
The resignation demand
Maryam has asked why Salik stays a minister in a government he calls corrupt. He said the PML-Q was a coalition partner under an arrangement settled without her, and it was up to the PML-N if it no longer needed partners.
Rana Sanaullah, the prime minister’s adviser on political affairs, called Salik a “gentleman” but said he had been influenced by claims in his social circles. He said Maryam was justified in responding. “My conscience tells me that only someone who is speaking the truth can respond with such confidence,” he said. He added that lower-level corruption had not been eliminated, but Maryam had never claimed it had.
How the Punjab corruption claims began
The dispute began after Salik praised his uncle, former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, as the best chief executive the province had ever had, and alleged that he regularly heard complaints of corruption.
He questioned lavish spending, including the use of an official aircraft, and said there were so many alleged corruption files that they could fill cupboards. He acknowledged that he held no documentary evidence for the claims.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had earlier said the remarks were “beyond my understanding”. Maryam answered the claims at a ceremony in Jhelum on Tuesday, saying political narratives had a limited “shelf life”. Salik’s cousin, PML-Q MNA Chaudhry Hussain Elahi, has backed his criticism over development funds.
The row runs through the Chaudhry family of Gujrat. Salik is the younger son of PML-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. Since Imran Khan’s ouster in 2022, Pervez Elahi and his son Moonis have backed the PTI, while the Shujaat family has stayed with the Sharifs. Salik’s elder brother Shafay serves in Maryam’s cabinet and stands by him.
Frequently asked questions
What did Salik say on Wednesday?
He said he stood by his Punjab corruption claims and would present his evidence in court.
What is the Rs5 billion defamation notice?
Maryam Nawaz served it on Salik last week, demanding a retraction, an apology and damages. It also names a news anchor and a channel chairman.
Why does Maryam link the row to the Gujrat deputy commissioner?
She said he was unhappy over the Gujrat deputy commissioner change. Salik says his interview was recorded on Sept 25, before the Oct 31 appointment, and he raised no objection.
Has the prime minister spoken to Salik about the row?
No. His only contact was an earlier meeting with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.
What happens next?
Salik will file his court response to the notice. The PML-Q stays a coalition partner for now.
