Maryam Sends Rs5bn Defamation Notice to Salik Over Corrupt

Maryam Sends Rs5bn Defamation Notice to Salik Over Corruption Claims LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday issued a Rs5 billion defamation notice to Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain, demanding that he retract allegations of corruption against her government or face legal action. The notice followed Salik's remarks during a television interview on Monday, in which the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader praised former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi but accused the current provincial administration of allowing political considerations to influence development priorities and public spending. He also alleged that a disproportionate share of Punjab's development budget was being spent in Lahore. Speaking at a ceremony in Attock on Tuesday, Maryam said she had received Salik's remarks about corruption and was sending him a defamation notice. 'I will not hear false allegations of corruption. If you have evidence, bring it forth — otherwise I will drag you to court,' she said, questioning why Salik continued to serve as a minister in a government he considered corrupt. The chief minister claimed the dispute stemmed from her decision to replace the deputy commissioner of Gujrat, alleging that Salik had wanted an officer of his own choice appointed to the post. 'I will not allow anyone to interfere in the will of the people,' she said. Maryam also rejected Salik's praise for Elahi, whom he had described as the best-ever chief minister of Punjab. Recalling her visit to Gujrat around two years ago, she said the city had suffered severe flooding, with rainwater rising to neck level and submerging her Land Cruiser. She claimed the situation had since improved, saying rainwater no longer accumulated in the city and that the development work had not been carried out during Elahi's tenure. The PML-N subsequently announced on X that the defamation notice had also been sent to ARY News host Naeem Ashraf Butt and the channel's chairman, Muhammad Iqbal. The notice said the office of the chief minister carried substantial public responsibility and required the highest standards of integrity and credibility. It argued that allegations of dishonesty or corruption broadcast to millions of viewers through electronic and digital media constituted a serious matter. According to the notice, Butt had introduced and led the discussion about alleged corruption in Punjab, while Salik had made sweeping allegations against the provincial administration. It maintained that the interview was not a neutral inquiry into any specific incident, investigation or documented complaint but had provided a platform for serious allegations without identifying verifiable evidence. The notice further argued that the remarks went beyond ordinary political criticism or disagreement over government policy and amounted to imputations of widespread corruption. It described the conduct of all three individuals as serious and unacceptable, holding Salik responsible for making the statements, Butt for his editorial conduct and Iqbal for facilitating and broadcasting the allegations. The recipients were asked to retract the remarks, issue an unconditional and unequivocal apology and clarification, and remove or suitably correct the relevant portions of the interview. The notice demanded Rs5 billion in damages and allowed seven days for compliance, warning that legal proceedings would follow if its demands were not met. Salik stands by remarks Responding to Maryam's announcement, Salik said he stood by his remarks and had answered the questions put to him honestly. 'God save us from arrogance,' he said in comments aired by a TV channel. Asked to provide evidence for his corruption allegations, he advised the media to listen to the interview again. He also rejected the suggestion that his comments were intended to divert attention from the debate over the creation of new provinces. 'It was an interview, someone asked a question and I responded honestly,' he said, adding that corruption did exist. Maryam later responded sarcastically to Salik's remarks, questioning whether making what she described as false allegations amounted to humility while responding to them was considered arrogance. During the interview, Salik had also criticised lavish government expenditure, particularly the use of official aircraft, arguing that public representatives should remain mindful of the country's economic difficulties. He said officials using government aircraft should be required to demonstrate tangible outcomes and public benefits from their trips. He also called for greater accountability among federal and provincial ministers, saying they should be empowered to perform their duties but held answerable for their performance. His comments had earlier drawn a sharp response from Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari, who advised him not to 'bite the hand that feeds him'. Bokhari also alleged that his displeasure stemmed from the rejection of his request to have a deputy commissioner of his choice appointed in Gujrat. The exchange has added to the political tensions surrounding the divided political loyalties of the Chaudhry family. Salik, the younger son of PML-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, belongs to a family whose political alignments diverged sharply after the ouster of Imran Khan's government through a no-confidence vote in 2022. While Pervez Elahi and his son, former federal minister Moonis Elahi, aligned themselves with the PTI, the Shujaat family chose to stand with the Sharifs. Salik's elder brother, Shafay Hussain, is also a member of Maryam's provincial cabinet.