- Punjab files cases under the Defamation Act 2024.
- The Punjab government denies that jets have been acquired solely for the CM’s use.
- Disinformation will no longer go unanswered: Marriyum.
The Punjab government has decided to initiate legal proceedings against individuals and platforms spreading what it described as false claims regarding the use of the provincial government’s official aircraft, senior minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Sunday.
In relation to X, the minister said a “deliberate and malicious campaign of lies and fabricated stories” was carried out by what she called “known pathological liars and peddlers of fake news” over the use of the Punjab government’s official aircraft.
She said the provincial government had decided to go to court under the Defamation Act 2024 against any person and platform involved in spreading the alleged misinformation.
“Disinformation will no longer go unanswered. Those who believe they can defame institutions and mislead the public without consequence should prepare to face the law,” she said.
She further said that the Punjab government would seek the maximum punishment under the law to send a clear message that “fake news is not journalism but defamation.”
Her remarks came amid a political controversy surrounding the Punjab government’s purchase of a Gulfstream business jet reportedly worth around Rs 10 billion.
The acquisition has drawn criticism from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which claimed that the aircraft was intended solely for the personal use of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
However, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari had earlier dismissed the claims and said the provincial government was planning to develop a fleet under the proposed “Air Punjab” initiative.
According to Bokhari, some aircraft would be purchased while others would be leased, with the Gulfstream jet as part of the wider plan.
Aviation sources said the Punjab government had acquired a Gulfstream G500 aircraft with US registration number N144S at an estimated cost of around Rs 10 billion. The news reported.
Flight tracking data shows that the seven-year-old jet arrived in Lahore on December 28 after traveling from Bangor in North America to the Egyptian city of Hurghada before landing at Allama Iqbal International Airport.
The aircraft remained parked at the Lahore airport for about 40 days, reportedly undergoing interior renovation and decoration, according to sources.
The jet made its first domestic flight on February 6 from Lahore to Multan and has since completed several flights under the callsign “PUNJAB2” to destinations including Quetta, Mianwali, Sialkot and Rawalpindi.
