Journalist Criticizes Punjab Government Over Aircraft Purchase Amid Poverty Incident
Lahore:Pakistani journalist **Saqib Kharral** has criticized the Punjab government’s decision to purchase an aircraft, citing a tragic incident in Multan where a father reportedly could not afford a burial shroud for his deceased son due to extreme poverty.
In a post on X, Kharral responded to Punjab Information Minister **Maryam Aurangzeb’s** defense of the government’s reported **Rs11 billion aircraft purchase**. He wrote that while the minister justified the acquisition, “today a father brought his young son for burial without a shroud because of poverty,” adding that public scrutiny is justified when taxpayer funds are involved.
The criticism followed reports from **Multan**, where an elderly man allegedly attempted to bury his son, identified as **Danish**, wrapped only in a sheet because he could not afford burial expenses.
یہاں بات کی گئی جہاز کیوں خریدا ہے؟
خریدا ہے بھئی۔ مریم اورنگزیب صاحبہ
منسٹر صاحبہ آپ اپنی زاتی کمائی سے خریدتی تو کوئی سوال نہ پوچھتا۔۔ خیر آپکو اطلاع ہو کہ آج ایک والد اپنی جوان اولاد غربت کی وجہ سے بغیر کفن دفنانے لے آیا تھا۔ pic.twitter.com/a3QWRp2wIg
— Rai Saqib Wazir Kharal (@iRaiSaqib) June 29, 2026
According to police, officers from the Lohari Gate Police Station responded after receiving information about the incident at Rashidabad Cemetery. The father reportedly told authorities that severe financial hardship had left him unable to purchase a burial shroud or cover funeral costs.
Police officials said they personally contributed money to provide a proper shroud and arrange the burial in accordance with Islamic traditions.
غربت کی دردناک تصویر ۔۔ ملتان میں کفن دفن کے پیسے نہ ہونے پر والد اپنے نوجوان بیٹے کی میت گھر میں موجود چادر میں لپیٹ کر قبرستان تدفین کیلئے پہنچ گیا pic.twitter.com/CXCeq5YMC8
— Rauf Klasra (@KlasraRauf) June 29, 2026
The social media criticism reflects public debate over government spending priorities, while the poverty-related incident has drawn widespread sympathy and renewed discussion about the economic challenges faced by vulnerable families in Pakistan.
