LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has sent a legal notice to Federal Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain over his corruption allegations against the Punjab government, seeking Rs5 billion in damages, ARY News reported.
The legal notice was sent through Maryam Nawaz’s lawyer, who accused Chaudhry Salik Hussain of making baseless and misleading allegations against the Punjab government.
According to the notice, Chaudhry Salik made the remarks during an exclusive interview with ARY News, saying that he frequently heard stories of corruption in Punjab.
He also claimed that there must be cupboards full of corruption files in Punjab rather than just files.
The notice stated that Chaudhry Salik Hussain had failed to provide any evidence to support his allegations.
It further described the allegations as baseless, unverified and defamatory, adding that the interview did not identify any documented incident, investigation or formal complaint to substantiate the claims.
ARY News and its reporter Naeem Ashraf Butt have also been sent legal notices over the broadcast of the interview.
Earlier, reacting to Chaudhry Salik’s interview, Maryam Nawaz had said she watched the programme in which he claimed that corruption was widespread in Punjab and that the alleged proceeds were accumulating.
Maryam Nawaz said she would not tolerate what she described as baseless allegations and warned of legal action if such accusations continued.
“If Chaudhry Salik has evidence, he should present it instead of making allegations,” she said, adding that she expected him to substantiate his claims.
The chief minister suggested that Chaudhry Salik was unhappy over the transfer of the Deputy Commissioner of Gujrat and questioned whether the controversy was linked to the administrative decision.
Referring to her visit to Gujrat, Maryam Nawaz said she had encountered severe flooding, claiming that the water level was so high that her Land Cruiser was submerged.
She also criticised Chaudhry Salik’s remarks about previous provincial administrations, noting that he had described the government of former chief minister Pervaiz Elahi as the best.
Reiterating her position, Maryam Nawaz said the issue was not simply about corruption allegations but about a federal minister making serious accusations without presenting supporting evidence.
She further remarked that individuals appointed through personal recommendations often undermine the interests of the country and its people.
