Punjab Information Minister Accuses PTI’s Sohail Afridi of Deflecting from ECP Notice, Praises Maryam Nawaz

By Muhammad Shahzad | Lahore, Pakistan

LAHORE — Punjab’s Minister for Information and Culture, Azma Bokhari, has criticized Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Sohail Afridi for targeting Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, saying his accusations are an attempt to divert attention from an Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) notice issued against him.

Bokhari emphasized that Maryam Nawaz has respected the election code of conduct and has not inaugurated any development projects in Lahore or other cities holding by-elections, nor has she actively campaigned for any PML-N candidate.

“Sohail Afridi is trying to hide his political embarrassment and is following in the footsteps of his leader by spreading falsehoods,” Bokhari said. She added that Afridi himself has publicly threatened government officials, warning that they would “not see the next sunrise,” a statement widely available on video.

Despite running the election campaign for Shehrnaz personally, Afridi continues to criticize the Chief Minister, Bokhari said, adding that Maryam Nawaz’s public service extends far beyond electoral politics.

The minister highlighted that Maryam Nawaz has overseen over 90 record-breaking development projects that are independent of any by-election and that the people of Punjab vote for PML-N candidates of their own free will, trusting the party’s performance and governance.

This statement comes amid rising political tensions ahead of Punjab by-elections, with allegations and counter-allegations between PTI and PML-N dominating the political discourse.