Extravagance tweet not about Maryam's daughter: Ahsan

Says post on extravagance was generic message for public representatives

LAHORE:

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday denied that his tweet criticising extravagance by people in public office, particularly during private joys and gatherings, was aimed at the wedding of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz's daughter.

The minister said he had simply read the message and shared it for all public representatives to follow.

The clarification comes amid speculation over the timing of the minister's post, which appeared within hours of reports that Maryam Nawaz's daughter had purportedly worn a designer necklace worth millions of dollars at her wedding.

The post quickly triggered speculation on social media and in political circles that Ahsan Iqbal was indirectly criticising the Punjab chief minister and her family.

Citing the example of Caliph Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz, who denounced extravagance immediately after being entrusted with the leadership of the Muslim Ummah, Ahsan wrote: "Private joys are the right of every human being, but a life associated with public office can never remain entirely private. The true dignity of leadership lies not in display and extravagance, but in living in harmony with the circumstances of the people."

The tweet was almost immediately interpreted as a reference to Maryam Nawaz's daughter's wedding, where, according to social media warriors, she wore a necklace worth over ten million dollars by a high-end designer.

When Adviser to the PM Rana Sanaullah was asked about the post, he said it did allude to what is commonly understood, obviating any need for further explanation. He also said that posting such a message was inappropriate.

He mockingly said that besides being a politician, he was also a professor, a term sometimes used as a euphemism for someone being overly smart. What he had implied was incorrect, Rana said, clarifying that there was nothing in that wedding to that effect. He asked Ahsan whether people should stop celebrating the weddings of their children.

Sources close to him in Narowal revealed that Federal Minister Ahsan was, in fact, unhappy with Maryam Nawaz and her team for not giving senior party members due respect. The source said that Ahsan Iqbal, during a private gathering, had said that even junior Maryam, referring to Maryam Aurangzeb, does not treat them properly.

Iqbal, while responding to questions sent by The Express Tribune, said his tweet was a generic one on simplicity, which he read and shared for "all of us to follow as public reps."

To another question regarding Rana Sanaullah, he said that Rana was his colleague and was free to say what he felt like.