Maryam Nawaz sends defamation notices to Ch Salik, TV channel

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has sent defamation notices to Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhary Salik Hussain, a private television channel’s chairman and a programme host over allegations of corruption in the provincial government.

According to the notices, the allegations were made during an interview with Salik Hussain broadcast by the television channel and were repeated without verification or documentary evidence.

The legal notices said the federal minister had acknowledged during the interview that he had no evidence to substantiate the corruption allegations, but had nevertheless made claims that cupboards, rather than files, were filled with records of alleged corruption in Punjab.

The notices accused the channel and its programme host of promoting unverified and defamatory allegations against the Punjab government without seeking factual confirmation or supporting documentation.

The notices also accused the channel and the journalist of providing a platform for propaganda against the provincial government.

The development follows Maryam’s announcement on Tuesday that she would send a defamation notice to Salik over his remarks about alleged corruption in Punjab, warning that she would take him to court if he failed to provide evidence.

Addressing a ceremony at COMSATS University in Attock, the chief minister had challenged the federal minister to substantiate his claims, saying she would drag him to court if he could not produce evidence.

Salik, the son of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain, had told ARY News in an interview that he was hearing accounts of corruption in Punjab every day. He said some of the accounts were credible and that cupboards, rather than files, were now filled with records of alleged corruption, adding that the accounts were also being documented.

Maryam had rejected the allegations, saying she could take an oath that not a single rupee of public money had been misappropriated under her government. She had also questioned why Salik remained part of the coalition government if he believed the Punjab administration was corrupt.

PML-Q hits back

Earlier, the PML-Q had hit back at Maryam over her threat of legal action, saying the party would respond if she proceeded with the case.

In a strongly worded statement, party spokesperson Ghulam Mustafa Malik had accused the chief minister of arrogance and said political power was not permanent.

He questioned whether the party was expected to remain silent when it disagreed with the government’s actions, adding that Salik would respond if a legal notice was issued.

Malik also credited the Chaudhary family with playing a role in Maryam’s rise to power, saying Salik’s sacrifices had helped her become chief minister and that his father, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, had contributed to the formation of the current government.

He also recalled Salik’s role in helping Maryam’s uncle, Shehbaz Sharif, become prime minister.

A point to check before publication: The notices’ exact demands and response deadline are not included in the material provided. I have therefore not added a compensation amount, apology requirement or deadline. Also, the channel, chairman and programme host are unnamed in the statement; their identities should be added if confirmed by the notices.