Punjab’s Information Minister, Azma Bokhari, asserted on Saturday that baseless accusations would not be tolerated, as she criticized Shandana Gulzar, an independent National Assembly member supported by PTI, for accusing Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz of orchestrating the death of Zille Shah.
Zille Shah, originally known as Ali Bilal and a supporter of PTI, died in a road accident. However, PTI leadership blamed the then PML-N government for his death during protests outside the party founder’s residence in Lahore. This claim was debunked by CCTV footage revealing that the vehicle belonged to a PTI leader, and the incident was exploited for political gain.
Despite this, Shandana recently renewed allegations against Maryam, claiming to possess audio evidence. Azma swiftly responded, promising legal action against Shandana via a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Azma, who assumed office as Punjab’s information minister earlier in the week, informed reporters that Shandana must substantiate her claims before the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The FIA Cyber Crime Wing issued a notice to Shandana, summoning her to appear in person on March 14 for running a highly intimidating campaign against state functionaries via social media.
Brandishing a copy of the FIA notice, Azma accused Shandana of spearheading an anti-state campaign. She labeled PTI members as “political vultures” and criticized Shandana for baselessly accusing the Punjab chief minister.
Azma reiterated that playing the “woman card” or the “political card” would not be tolerated, insisting that Shandana must cooperate with the FIA.
Regarding social media restrictions, Azma emphasized her support for freedom of expression but stressed that slanderous accusations of murder would not be tolerated online.
