Uzma Bukhari Defends Punjab Govt Aircraft Purchase in Heated Assembly Session

A tense debate erupted in the Punjab Assembly over the provincial government’s purchase of a new aircraft, as Information Minister Uzma Bukhari defended the move by drawing a comparison with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. Responding to opposition criticism, she stated that if Bilawal Bhutto can travel on the Sindh government’s plane, then the Punjab government’s aircraft is likewise at the discretion of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. The exchange took place during the question hour when matters related to the Information Department were under discussion, but the atmosphere grew heated after PPP lawmaker Shazia Abid questioned whether the chief minister would travel to Rajanpur on an aircraft reportedly costing around Rs11 billion. The government has recently acquired a new plane for the Punjab chief minister, with its price said to be approximately Rs10 billion, prompting strong reactions from opposition members. Opposition Leader Moin Riaz Qureshi demanded clarification on the budgetary head under which the aircraft was purchased and questioned the necessity of such an expense, while opposition lawmakers protested by waving paper planes inside the assembly. The Speaker remarked that if it were his responsibility to respond, he would justify the aircraft’s purchase, but added that it was not his role to do so. The session also saw heated arguments when opposition members raised concerns about the health and imprisonment of Imran Khan. In response, ruling party member Rana Arshad urged critics to reflect on their own tenure before targeting the current government. The situation further escalated when government lawmaker Ahsan Raza used inappropriate remarks about the PTI founder, leading to uproar in the house. The Speaker intervened, ordering the expunction of unparliamentary words from the record and emphasizing that offensive language against political leaders would not be tolerated. The proceedings highlighted deep political divisions within the assembly, with the aircraft purchase becoming the focal point of broader tensions between the government and opposition benches.