Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb defended Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz against criticism over her use of a government jet for personal travel and remarks about terrorism threats from neighboring provinces. Aurangzeb stated that the real issue is Maryam's rising popularity, not the specific incidents. She also criticized Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Shafi Jan for derogatory comments made during an assembly session discussing Maryam’s statements, calling his rhetoric sexist and unbecoming of a Pashtun tradition.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-12,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb defended Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Saturday amid criticism over Nawaz's use of a government jet for a private trip to London and her controversial remarks about terrorism threats from neighboring provinces. Aurangzeb stated, "The issue these days is not the plane or Maryam Nawaz’s statement; the real issue is with Maryam Nawaz’s performance and her rising popularity." Nawaz had traveled to London last week to attend her daughter Mahnoor's graduation ceremony and was criticized for using a government aircraft. The Punjab government asserts that Nawaz covered all expenses of the trip. In response, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly passed a majority resolution seeking action against Nawaz under Article 6 of the Constitution due to her comments on terrorism threats from neighboring provinces. During the assembly session, KP Information Minister Shafi Jan made derogatory and sexist remarks about Nawaz and Information Minister Azma Bokhari.
Written for “Maryam's Popularity Controversy” on 2026-09-12,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it +0.35, but none of the 3 quote(s) it offered could be found in the article text, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 8326: no verified evidence · logged 2026-09-12
Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on Saturday defended Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz amid recent criticism of her use of a government jet for a private visit and her remarks on the province facing a terrorism threat from neighbouring provinces.
asserted
Aurangzeb → defend → provinces
“The issue these days is not the plane or Maryam Nawaz’s statement; the real issue is with Maryam Nawaz’s performance and her rising popularity,” Aurangzeb said in a post on X.
She said that it had already been made clear that CM Maryam would bear the expenses of her visit to London.
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Maryam → rise → London
The chief minister had travelled to London last week to attend the graduation ceremony of her daughter, Mahnoor, and returned to Lahore on Wednesday.
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minister → travel → Wednesday
The Punjab government insists the CM bore all expenses of the trip.
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CM → insist → trip
The development had followed CM Maryam’s remarks that Punjab faced a greater security threat from “neighbouring provinces than from neighbouring countries”.
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Punjab → follow → countries
The remarks were widely panned, with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Friday passing a majority resolution seeking action against her under Article 6 of the Constitution over the remarks, after suspending the day’s agenda.
However, during the assembly session, KP Information Minister Shafi Jan had resorted to making derogatory and sexist remarks about the Punjab chief minister and Information Minister Azma Bokhari.
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Jan → pan → minister
Aurangzeb said on Saturday that those using CM Maryam’s statement to “spread hatred among the provinces and division in the nation” should apologise to the public.
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those → say → public
Criticising Jan’s remarks, she said his “cheap rhetoric” was in line with the PTI and its leadership’s “detestable tradition of using foul language against women”.
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rhetoric → criticise → women
“Unfortunately, these elements have been imposed on KP who are not even aware of the traditions of the proud Pashtuns who respect their mothers, sisters and daughters,” she said.
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she → impose → mothers
“Terrorists blow human bodies to pieces with guns and suicide jackets, and their facilitators use language as a weapon to insult humans, especially women,” Aurangzeb said.
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Aurangzeb → blow → humans
Meanwhile, the KP information minister was also criticised for his remarks against CM Maryam and Bokhari.
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minister → criticise → Maryam
PML-N’s Samar Haroon Bilour reacted to the comments on X, saying: “I wonder what Shafi Jan’s mother will be thinking about her son tonight.”
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mother → react → son
Journalist Asad Ali Toor termed the PTI an “expert of self-goals”.
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Toor → term → goals
He said that Jan had given a “disgusting statement” against Bokhari when CM Maryam and the PML-N was under pressure.
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Maryam → say → pressure
Shafi Jan should immediately render an unconditional apology not only to Azma Bokhari but also to all Pakistani women!” he said.
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he → render → women
“Basically these guys are raised in an environment where respect for women is not even norm, they treat women like a commodity and look down upon them..
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they → raise → them
shameless fellow,” said former PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry.
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Chaudhry → say → ?
Meher Bano Qureshi, the daughter of former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, said: “An apology is due.
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apology → say → Qureshi
There is a lot to criticise when it comes to Maryam Nawaz and her coterie of hand maidens but the unparliamentary and ungentlemanly language used is wrong and deeply offensive.
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language → be → maidens
I would urge my brother Shafi Jan to retract his words and tender an apology,” she said.
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she → urge → apology
“Of course, the kind of filth spewed in Punjab Assembly is just reflective of their own upbringing.
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kind → spew → upbringing
We should not and must not stoop to their level,” she said.
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she → stoop → level
