Punjab CM under fire

LAHORE:

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz came under fire on Saturday after her remarks that Punjab faced a greater security threat from other provinces than neighbouring countries triggered widespread criticism and concerns over the widening provincial divide.

The remarks, made at the e-launching ceremony of the Artificial Intelligence Hub in Lahore, triggered criticism, particularly from opposition figures, who accused the chief minister of targeting Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and undermining provincial harmony.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), the main opposition party, hit out at the chief minister, alleging that her remarks reflected an intention to "break Pakistan apart".

In a post on X, the party said: "Love for India always wells up from the hearts of the Sharif family, while harboring hatred for their own smaller provinces."

The PTI said it was "extremely regrettable and irresponsible" for a provincial leader to describe neighbouring provinces within Pakistan as a threat.

"When a provincial leader, instead of fostering unity and solidarity with their own compatriots, fuels hatred and division against them, it shakes the foundations of the federation," it said.

Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) Punjab Chief Organiser Ammar Ali Jan and Information Secretary Shayan Bashir condemned the remarks they said blamed Pakistan's own provinces for terrorism, calling the statement "not merely regrettable but dangerous".

They said the chief minister had told a public gathering in Lahore that the threat to Punjab came less from across the border than from the provinces alongside it.

Jan said alienation among young people in the smaller provinces was already deepening due to years of political deprivation and injustice. He said linking entire provinces to terrorism would fan hatred and prejudice.

He added that such remarks could play into the hands of elements seeking to destabilise Pakistan.

Bashir said it was "a particular arrogance" for a chief minister whom he described as having been installed on a disputed mandate to cast suspicion on provinces where, he claimed, the people's verdict was respected.

Former National Assembly speaker and senior PTI leader Asad Qaiser also condemned CM Maryam's remarks, describing them as insulting towards K-P.

"Maryam Nawaz's insulting and sarcastic statement regarding Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is extremely shameful and reprehensible," Qaiser wrote in a post on X.

Former PML-N senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed also criticised the statement, describing it as divisive and derogatory towards K-P.

In a post on X, he called it a "shockingly chauvinistic statement" that was "highly divisive and derogatory" and reflected "ignorance and arrogance".