Punjab Information Minister Azma Zahid Bukhari says Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz personally covered the expenses of her recent private London visit.
Punjab Information Minister Azma Zahid Bukhari has said that no official funds from the Punjab government were used to cover Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s recent London visit.
In a statement posted on social media platform X, Bukhari rejected reports and speculation suggesting that the provincial government had paid for the chief minister’s trip. She said Maryam Nawaz personally bore the expenses of the visit.
Maryam Nawaz recently travelled to London to attend her daughter’s graduation ceremony. Following the visit, questions were raised on social media about the cost of her travel, including claims concerning the use of official resources.
Different figures regarding the cost of a private aircraft had also appeared in earlier media reports. However, according to the Punjab government’s stated position, the expenses of the visit were not paid from the provincial exchequer.
The clarification comes amid public discussion over the financial arrangements of the chief minister’s overseas trip. Bukhari’s statement specifically addressed claims that the Punjab government had incurred official expenditure on the visit.
Before departing London for Pakistan, Maryam Nawaz also spoke briefly to journalists about the internal situation of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
She said the PML-N was fully united and standing firmly together. According to Maryam Nawaz, several people had previously attempted to divide or weaken the party, but they had come and gone while the party remained united.
The Punjab chief minister also emphasized the need for similar efforts toward public service in other provinces. She said other provinces should work with the same commitment toward serving the public as Punjab.
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