Azma Bukhari invites Sharjeel Memon to face her in open debate

LAHORE: A fresh political row has erupted between the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) after Sindh’s senior minister Sharjeel Inam Memon took aim at Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s government, prompting a sharp response from Punjab’s Information Minister Azma Bukhari, ARY News reported.

According to reports, tensions between the two parties intensified following Maryam Nawaz’s remarks about canal management, which drew criticism from PPP leaders.

Responding to Sharjeel Memon’s latest statements, Azma Bukhari said, “Keep your local government election deadlines in your own pocket. Whenever Punjab holds its elections, they won’t be as bogus as Karachi’s.”

She accused the PPP of trying to “interfere in another province’s affairs,” adding, “You’re forcefully trying to pick fights within Punjab. The slogan ‘My water, my choice’ is no different from ‘Marsoon marsoon, pani na desoon.’ You can keep crying over water and criticizing Punjab all day, but this won’t work.”

The Punjab information minister went on to say that the PPP’s aggressive stance was driven by fear of Maryam Nawaz’s growing popularity: “If you weren’t scared of Maryam Nawaz, you wouldn’t be holding press conferences even on your day off.”

Azma Bukhari also accused the PPP of abandoning flood victims, claiming the party “sent only taunts, not aid” and “did not spend a single penny” to help flood-hit people in Punjab or Sindh.

Rejecting PPP’s allegations that the Punjab government was conspiring against the prime minister, Azma Bukhari countered: “You are the ones who have plotted against both the federal and Punjab governments. Bilawal Bhutto, during his tenure as foreign minister, worked to weaken the federation and the prime minister and the nation hasn’t forgotten that.”

Bukhari further alleged that PPP resorts to blackmail tactics through “threats and paid protests.” She stated, “Who are you to issue orders to Punjab? Keep your commands and advice to yourself.”

Taking a direct jab at the Sindh government’s performance, Azma Bukhari said, “Whenever someone points out Karachi’s garbage, broken roads, or corruption, you start playing the ethnicity and ‘Marsoon marsoon’ card. Calling this politics is wrong, it’s filth.”

Accepting Sharjeel Memon’s challenge for an open debate, Azma Bukhari concluded, “Name the time and place of your choice — but come yourself, don’t hide behind a proxy.”

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