Hamid Mir Questions Maryam Nawaz’s Statements Over London Trip on Government Aircraft
LAHORE:Senior journalist Hamid Mir has questioned Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s statements regarding her use of a Punjab government aircraft for a recent trip to London, saying she should herself consider what he described as contradictions in her position.
Speaking on his Geo News programme, Mir said Maryam Nawaz had recently stated in London that she was on leave, while she later argued in Pakistan that a chief minister is never on leave.
Mir said the chief minister had faced criticism over travelling to London on a government aircraft and had responded by saying that the aircraft belonged to the office of the chief minister rather than to her personally. Maryam also said she had personally paid around Rs27.5 million for the trip to attend her daughter’s graduation.
The journalist also pointed to differing explanations from members of the Punjab cabinet regarding the aircraft. He said one minister had described the aircraft as part of plans for an “Air Punjab” fleet, while another had defended its purchase as an asset intended to facilitate the chief minister’s official work.
Maryam Nawaz, speaking at the inauguration of an electric bus service in Multan on September 17, rejected criticism of her use of the aircraft. She said the plane was owned by the Punjab government and that similar aircraft facilities were available to all four provincial chief ministers.
She said she had paid the expenses for her London trip from her personal funds and maintained that she was accountable to the public rather than to social media personalities or YouTubers. Recent reporting indicates that Rs27.194 million was deposited towards the aircraft expenses.
During her Multan address, Maryam Nawaz also criticised her political opponents and said she was being targeted because of her government’s development work. She highlighted housing, transport and healthcare initiatives and said Punjab was undertaking projects in several sectors.
The chief minister also criticised the recent visit of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to Punjab, claiming that the visit failed to attract public support. These remarks represent the Punjab chief minister’s political assessment and were not independently verified.
### Multan Electric Bus Service
Earlier, Maryam Nawaz formally inaugurated the electric bus service in Multan. She travelled by electric bus from a stop on Shujaabad Road to the venue of the inauguration ceremony at Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture.
According to details presented at the ceremony, the initial phase of the Multan service will include electric buses on several routes, including Vehari Chowk to Nishtar Hospital, Ghanta Ghar to Ibn-e-Sina Hospital and Dera Adda via DHA to the Women University and e-Khidmat Centre.
Additional routes include Chowngi No. 9 to Nag Shah and NADRA Abad railway crossing, while services will also operate between Vehari Chowk, Qasim Bela, Ghanta Ghar and Qadirpur Raan.
The Punjab government has said the wider programme will expand electric bus services across the Multan Division, with the total fleet planned to reach 205 buses.
[1]: https://www.urdupoint.com/en/pakistan/hamid-mir-questions-maryam-nawaz-london-trip-government-aircraft-2254438.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Why Did The Chief Minister Travel To London On Her Plane? Hamid Mir Questions Maryam Nawaz’s Contradictory Statements”
