• Accuses PTI of running vilification campaign on social and mainstream media • Political leaders ask provincial govt to come clean on ‘extravagance’ LAHORE: Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb strongly condemned PTI activists and others for running a vilification campaign against Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz over the Punjab government’s decision to acquire a luxury jet. CM Maryam has faced severe criticism from the opposition and some journalists regarding the government’s purchase of a luxury aircraft for her personal use. “Elements engaged in character assassination against the CM on media and social media are affiliated with the PTI. The national media should expel and reject those operating under PTI’s foreign funding,” Ms Aurangzeb said in a statement on Tuesday. She added that the PTI’s toxic mindset was spreading filth across social and mainstream media platforms, which was deeply regrettable. The senior minister said the seeds of this vile, poisonous, and repugnant mindset were sown during PTI’s tenure. “This reflects the continuation of the PTI founder’s offensive thinking. The media should condemn the character assassination campaign against Maryam Nawaz Sharif,” she urged. She further said that whenever legal action was taken against such campaigns, an outcry was raised in the name of curbing freedom of expression. Meanwhile, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari described the PTI’s “gutter mentality” as a cancer clinging to the country and society. The Punjab government acqui­red a luxury Gulfstream 19-seater jet worth between $38 million and $42 million (over Rs10bn) for the chief minister’s use. Initially, the Punjab administration remained tight-lipped about the acquisition, 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 replacement with a “safe new jet”. PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram criticised the purchase as an “extravagant expenditure amid economic hardship”, arguing that it contradicted the government’s public calls for austerity while citizens face rising inflation, unemployment, and financial strain. He argued that spending billions on a VIP aircraft is unjustifiable when a large portion of the population lives below the poverty line and the country relies heavily on foreign loans. He warned that PTI would hold those responsible accountable for what he termed misuse of public funds. Adviser to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister on Finance Muzammil Aslam pointed out that, while the federal PML-N government sold 75 per cent of Pakistan International Airlines shares for just Rs10 billion, the Punjab government purchased a jet for Rs11bn. Similarly, Jamaat-i-Islami Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said that while the prime minister celebrated the PIA sale, his niece, CM Maryam Nawaz, went ahead and purchased a luxury aircraft for “elite” travel. Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2026