Lahore (Bureau Report):
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari has reacted strongly to the recent incident at the Punjab Assembly, stating that the provincial legislature is not a public square where anyone can enter without permission.
Speaking during a private TV channel program, Azma Bukhari said that Sohail Afridi and his associates entered the Punjab Assembly despite the fact that a list of 30 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members had already been submitted to the Assembly Secretariat. She emphasized that entry into the Punjab Assembly is regulated through a proper procedure and strictly according to the approved list.
She alleged that individuals accompanying Sohail Afridi pushed assembly guards, damaged flower pots, broke doors, and forcibly entered the assembly premises. Azma Bukhari said the government was not intimidated by such actions, adding that PTI workers often resort to dramatic behavior due to their own conduct.
The information minister further stated that inappropriate and abusive language was used within the assembly premises, including remarks directed at her and her parents. Despite this, she said, the Punjab government exercised restraint and did not respond harshly.
She added that PTI members displayed aggressive behavior and claimed that Information Adviser Shafee Jaan also used highly offensive language against former caretaker chief minister Mohsin Naqvi.
Azma Bukhari said that had the government taken strict action, it would have been portrayed as insulting guests, while ignoring such misconduct was also being labeled a failure of governance. She also rejected what she termed baseless claims circulating on PTI’s social media regarding Lahore.
Commenting on local government elections, the minister said that Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) is fully prepared and waiting for the announcement of election dates. She claimed that PML-N has won all by-elections in Punjab decisively and expressed confidence that local government elections would pave the way for PTI’s political defeat.
She further said that PTI has been in power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the past 12 years and that its statements are riddled with contradictions. According to her, Sohail Afridi had visited Lahore on a recreational and study tour, enjoyed full protocol, and toured the city extensively, but is now seeking relief through means other than the courts.