Amid a deepening row over canal projects, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari on Saturday urged the Sindh government to introspect and settle matters at the table rather than take the path of confrontation.
Speaking to the media at Lahore Press Club, Bukhari reiterated her stance that issues ought to be resolved through dialogue.
"I don't know what exactly Sindh's problem is, but once again, I'll say — let's talk things out. A single sentence from me seems to offend the Sindh government immensely. They should take a hard look at their own behaviour."
Her remarks come as tensions between Punjab and Sindh flared earlier this month, following a verbal back-and-forth between ministers over the federal government's canal project rejected by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari as "unilateral".
Bukhari had said that the PPP was merely playing politics over the matter, a comment that sparked strong backlash from PPP leaders, who lambasted the statements from Punjab ministers.
Criticising PTI founding chairman during Saturday's talk, the Punjab minister said, "He claims he wants to talk. But those he wants to speak with aren't interested. He's essentially asking for an NRO — calling it 'dialogue' instead of negotiations".
"He wants May 9 forgiven. Where's the national interest in that? Is his wife's diamond corruption part of the nation's cause?"
Bukhari further alleged that Imran neither worked in the country's interest during his time in government nor is he doing so now. "Even now, they're writing letters to the IMF. The nation's interest lies with the PML-N. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister are working day and night in that interest," she asserted.
Commenting on the Balochistan issue, Bukhari said former premier and PML-N President Nawaz Sharif had earlier resolved the province's issues politically and promised that the party would address them again.
"Just like we've countered internal and external conspiracies in the past, we will do so again," she assured.
She criticised certain politicians for supporting militants. "Some politicians rush to receive the dead bodies of BLA militants. The ones who hijacked the Jaffar Express were terrorists, and any politician siding with such elements cannot be loyal to the country," she added.
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