Punjab to take legal action against those behind ‘malicious campaign’ over official jet use: Marriyum

• Senior Minster says ‘deliberate malicious campaign of lies’ being run by ‘known pathological liars and peddlers of fake news’

• Warns disinformation will no longer go unanswered, saying govt will aim to ‘seek recourse to the maximum penalty under the law’

• Azma Bokhari condemns ‘fabricated campaign,’ against Punjab CM, saying opponents spreading lies about Maryam Nawaz

 LAHORE: Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Sunday that the provincial government has decided to take legal action against those involved in a “malicious campaign” targeting the “chief minister and her family” over the use of an official jet.

In a statement on X, the senior minister took note of a “deliberate malicious campaign of lies and fabricated stories about the use of the official plane of the Punjab government”, which she said was being run by “known pathological liars and peddlers of fake news.”

A deliberate malicious campaign of lies and fabricated stories about the use of the official plane of Punjab Government is being run by known pathological liars and peddlers of fake news. The Punjab Government has decided to move the courts under the Defamation Law 2024 against…

— Marriyum Aurangzeb (@Marriyum_A) March 15, 2026

“Disinformation will no longer go unanswered,” she added.

The minister stated that the provincial government had decided to take legal action against “every individual and platform” involved under the Defamation Law 2024.

No truth in reports that Junaid Safdar is in Vienna, says Sharif family

Meanwhile, rubbishing reports doing rounds on social media, the spokesman for the Sharif family on Sunday said that Junaid Safdar, son of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, had not gone to Vienna.

In a statement, the spokesman said that Junaid was at his home in Raiwind along with his wife.

He further said that Junaid reserved the right to take legal action against those spreading fake news.

Last month, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz faced severe criticism from the opposition and some journalists regarding the government’s purchase of the aircraft. The Gulfstream 19-seater jet is estimated to be worth between $38 million and $42m (over Rs10b) and was acquired for the CM’s use.

More recently, there has been speculation on social media about Maryam’s son, Junaid Safdar, using the jet to travel to Europe.

The PTI-led opposition has maintained that “spending billions on a VIP aircraft is unjustifiable when a large portion of the population lives below the poverty line”.

Similarly, Jamaat-i-Islami Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman had also assailed the provincial government, saying that while the prime minister celebrated the sale of the national carrier Pakistan International Airlines, his niece, CM Maryam, went ahead and purchased a luxury aircraft for “elite” travel.

The Punjab administration had remained tight-lipped about the acquisition initially, but later claimed that it was part of a proposed airline project.

When questions arose about the absence of a roadmap for the airline, the government later stated that the previous plane used by CM Maryam had become old and needed to be replaced with a “safe new jet”.

Marriyum Aurangzeb warned that “those who think they can malign institutions and mislead the public without consequence should prepare to face the law”.

She said that the provincial government will aim to “seek recourse to the maximum penalty under the law to ensure a clear and unequivocal message”.

The minister held that fake news was not “real journalism” but rather defamation. “Pathological lying lunatics will not be tolerated; enough is enough,” she stressed.

The senior minister has previously accused PTI activists and others of running a vilification campaign against CM Maryam over the decision to acquire the luxury jet.

 Azma Bokhari slams ‘false propaganda’ targeting Maryam Nawaz and her family

In a statement, Ms Bokhari said a false propaganda campaign had earlier been launched about the alleged foreign travel of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, while fresh fabricated claims were now being circulated about her family.

بغض مریم نواز میں کہاں تک گرو گے ؟
پہلے سی ایم مریم نواز کی بیرون ملک روانگی سےمتعلق جھوٹ پھیلایا گیا اب ان کی فیملی سے متعلق من گھڑت خبریں بنائی جا رہی ہیں،جتنا زور جھوٹ بولنے پر لگایا جارہا ہے کاش اتنا عوام کی فلاح و بہبود کےلیے سوچا ہوتا تو شاید آج عوام آپ کے جھوٹ پریقین…

— Azma Zahid Bokhari (@AzmaBokhariPMLN) March 15, 2026

She remarked that if the same time and energy being spent on creating and spreading falsehoods had instead been devoted to thinking about the welfare of the people, those making such claims might have earned greater public credibility.

The Punjab information minister said that while opponents may continue to spread lies, the chief minister would remain focused on introducing new initiatives aimed at public welfare and would continue to win the trust and support of the people through her performance.

She further maintained that the politics of playing the victim, projecting innocence, or claiming political victimisation would no longer work, adding that the public was now fully aware of the difference between truth and falsehood and that those spreading misinformation would ultimately be exposed.

Azma Bokhari added that the politics of lies and propaganda could not survive for long, as the truth eventually comes to light.