Moonis hits back, says Punjab CM owes her office to ‘Form-47’
By Zulqernain
An open confrontation has erupted within the ruling coalition, with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz serving a Rs5 billion defamation notice on federal minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain a day after he accused her government of corruption, prompting a counterattack from PTI leader Moonis Elahi, who said she had become chief minister through “Form-47”.
The escalating war of words has exposed fresh tensions between the PML-N and its coalition partner, the PML-Q, with the two sides trading barbs over alleged corruption, political appointments and the performance of successive Punjab governments.
Speaking at an event in Attock on Tuesday, Ms Maryam said she would not tolerate “false allegations of corruption” and challenged Mr Salik to produce evidence or face legal action.
“If you have evidence, bring it forth — otherwise I will drag you to court,” she said, adding that she had sent him a defamation notice.
She also questioned why Mr Salik continued to serve in the federal cabinet if he believed the Punjab government was corrupt.
The chief minister attributed the minister’s criticism to her recent decision to replace the deputy commissioner of Gujrat, alleging that he had wanted an officer of his choice appointed.
Mr Salik, however, stood by his allegations, saying he had spoken honestly during a television interview and that corruption did exist in Punjab. “God save us from pride and arrogance,” he remarked in an apparent reference to the chief minister’s response.
The row also drew in former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi’s son, Moonis Elahi, who took a swipe at Ms Maryam on X.
“Punjab was not handed over to you by my father, Pervez Elahi. In fact, you became chief minister because of Form-47,” he said.
The controversy began when Mr Salik, during a television interview on Monday, praised Mr Elahi’s tenure but criticised the present Punjab government for allegedly directing development funds disproportionately towards Lahore and allowing political considerations to influence development priorities.
He also questioned lavish government expenditure, particularly the use of official aircraft, and called for greater accountability of federal and provincial ministers.
In her response, Ms Maryam rejected the comparison with Mr Elahi, claiming that Gujrat had suffered severe drainage problems during his tenure but had since undergone significant improvement under her government.
The defamation notice, also sent to the television channel and its programme host, accused Mr Salik of making sweeping and baseless allegations without producing verifiable evidence.
It said the programme had provided a platform for serious accusations without establishing their factual basis.
The notice demanded an unconditional apology, withdrawal or correction of the remarks and Rs5bn in damages within seven days, warning of legal proceedings in case of non-compliance.
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari had earlier hit back at Mr Salik, advising him not to “bite the hand that feeds him”.
The public spat assumes significance because the PML-Q, led by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, is an ally of the PML-N-led ruling coalition. The two branches of the Chaudhry family have, however, been on opposing political sides since the ouster of Imran Khan’s government in 2022.
While Mr Shujaat and his sons, including Mr Salik, sided with the Sharifs, Mr Elahi and his son Moonis aligned themselves with the PTI. Mr Salik’s elder brother, Shafay Hussain, is also a minister in Ms Maryam’s Punjab cabinet.
