With the PPP keeping silent on PML-N salvosfearing retribution from their own chairman, Bilawal Bhutto ZardariPunjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari took another swipe at the PPP in Sindh, stating that despite ruling the province for a long time, the party had pushed Sindh and Karachi into "dark ages".
Strangely, while PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto has restrained his party in Punjab from criticizing Maryam Nawaz and her government, according to several party leaders that The Express Tribune spoke to, the PML-N leadership in Punjab does not appear to share the same sentiment. Without naming Bilawal Bhutto, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari said that, unlike Punjab's chief minister and cabinet who remained among flood victims throughout, Sindh's PPP leaders only announced visits to affected areas after the rain had stopped.
Doubling down on Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon's criticism of the Punjab government for backing a controversial YouTuber over his remarks against the people of Sindh, Azma said the PML-N was free from biased and sectarian politics. She added that Sindh's PPP leaders were more focused on political point-scoring than relief work.
It is pertinent to mention that this was the second time Azma issued a statement against Sharjeel Memon over the same remarks, in which he had expressed dismay over the Punjab government's support for the YouTuber and its role in amplifying a trend on X in his favor.
Mocking Memon, Azma further said that Bilawal Bhutto himself had praised Maryam Nawaz's leadership and performance during his visit to flood-hit areas in Punjab, and asked whether Sharjeel Memon would accept Bilawal's opinion. She expressed disappointment that Memon was more concerned about Punjab and the federal government than the situation in Sindh and Karachi. She criticized those who "lecture others but refuse to learn themselves".
On the recent floods, Azma highlighted that Punjab had sufficient wheat stockpiles due to Maryam Nawaz's timely planning, which saved millions of lives. She claimed that there was widespread appreciation for the Punjab chief minister even in Sindh.
A senior PPP leader, however, claimed that everyone in the party knew where the chairman stood regarding Maryam Nawaz, adding that the party had been put on "silent mode" by Bilawal, whose lack of political acumen, he warned, could drown what little hopes the party had of reviving itself in Punjab.
He further revealed that Punjab had created multiple hurdles in the way of a relief goods distribution event where the Punjab governor was the chief guest. From withholding permission to hold the event at a hockey ground near Khokhar Chowk, to forcing organizers to book a new venue, and even involving the police, every possible pressure tactic was used, he alleged. The leader, however, refused to divulge further details.
Azma was asked to comment on the PPP's claims but did not respond until the filing of this report.
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