Junaid Safdar says he never went to Vienna as honeymoon rumour hits turbulence

Junaid Safdar has publicly denied social media claims that he travelled to Vienna on an official aircraft, saying in an Instagram story that he never made the trip. His clarification came as speculation around an alleged honeymoon flight gathered pace online, prompting the Sharif family and Punjab government to reject the claims as false and politically motivated.

The controversy erupted after social media posts claimed that a government jet had flown to Vienna for the personal use of Junaid, the son of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, with some users alleging the trip was linked to his honeymoon or private travel in Europe.

But the Sharif family rejected the claim outright. In a statement, its spokesperson said Junaid was in Raiwind and had not travelled to Vienna or anywhere else in Europe on a special aircraft. The family said the reports were false, baseless and politically motivated, adding that it reserved the right to pursue legal action against those spreading the allegations.

Junaid then addressed the speculation himself through an Instagram story, publicly denying that he had gone to Vienna and reinforcing the family’s position as the rumour continued to circulate online.

The Punjab government has also escalated its response. Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said legal action would be taken against every individual and platform involved in what she called a deliberate campaign of lies and fabricated stories about the use of the official plane.

In a statement posted on X, she said the government would proceed under the Defamation Law 2024 and made clear that, in its view, fake news and organised propaganda would no longer go unanswered. She also warned that those attempting to malign institutions and mislead the public should be prepared to face legal consequences.

The issue comes against the backdrop of earlier criticism over Punjab government’s purchase of a Gulfstream 19-seater aircraft reportedly worth between $38 million and $42 million, or over Rs10 billion. The acquisition had already drawn backlash from opposition parties and critics, who questioned the optics of buying a luxury jet at a time of economic strain.

The latest round of claims intensified after flight tracking details circulating online appeared to show the aircraft returning from Vienna to Lahore. However, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said the aircraft had travelled for technical inspection, calling the speculation contrary to facts and deeply unfortunate.

She said such inspections were part of the contractual requirements and accused critics of turning a routine technical matter into political propaganda.

The PTI-led opposition, meanwhile, has continued to argue that spending billions on a VIP aircraft is indefensible when many Pakistanis are struggling with rising economic hardship.