The ongoing war of words between the Punjab and Sindh leadership showed no signs of easing as Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz once again hit back at critics, warning that those berating Punjab would receive a strong response.
She insisted that raising her voice for her people’s rights was her duty and that she would never apologise for doing so.
Defending Punjab’s share in the country’s water resources, the chief minister declared that the province’s water belonged to its farmers and could not be sacrificed at the altar of politics.
تکلیف مجھے اس بات کی ہے کہ جب پنجاب میں بدترین سیلاب آگیا پنجاب پہ آفت آگئی ,ایک صوبے کو لوگوں نے نہ صرف پنجاب حکومت پر غلط تنقید کی , اس کے زخموں پہ نمک چھڑکا ,اگر کسی صوبے میں کوئی مصیبت آتی ہے تو پنجاب ہمیشہ دوسرے صوبوں کی مدد کیلیے کھڑا ہوتا ہے۔ pic.twitter.com/8vbYmzL4pT
— Rashid Nasrullah (@RashidNasrulah) October 3, 2025
Speaking at the launch of the second phase of Lahore’s electric bus project on Friday, she lamented that when disasters struck Punjab, its wounds were deepened through political point-scoring instead of solidarity.
She recalled offering support to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa after a deadly cloudburst but noted that when Punjab faced similar challenges, its relief efforts were mocked in press conferences.
Rejecting criticism over not seeking international assistance, she said that when the intention was service, there was no need to seek charity from anyone.
Also Read: Will never apologise for raising my voice for Punjab: Maryam
The Pakistan Peoples Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz renewed their verbal spat over the use of the Benazir Income Support Programme for providing support to the flood-affected people in Punjab.
The PPP has long been advocating the proposal that the BISP would be the most suitable way to support the flood victims; however, the Punjab government is averse to the idea. The provincial government insists that the government’s flood relief efforts were going on well.
The BISP is a national programme to provide cash assistance to poor and vulnerable families, particularly targeting women. First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari warned that it would be “unfair not utilising” the BISP, which, according to her, was the “most effective way” to distribute aid.
Read More: Maryam defends Punjab’s Cholistan canal plan, PPP disagrees
Her comments came a day after Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari revealed that the provincial government would issue “relief cards” to the flood victims in their personal names from its own resources instead of using the BISP to assist them.
Aseefa wrote on X that recent floods in Punjab impacted more than four million people, stressing that the BISP would be the most effective and fastest way for the distribution of aid.
However, Bokhari strongly criticised the PPP for dragging the BISP into the floods. “No one wants to abolish the BISP. The question is: why do you want to use it during floods?” Bokhari mentioned. “Dragging it repeatedly into flood politics is exactly what we call politicisation.”
Read More: PPP, PML-N rush to heal coalition cracks
She accused the PPP of ignoring the interests of the people of Punjab and resorting to flood politics. She defended the Punjab government’s performance during the floods, saying that even the PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had praised Maryam Nawaz.
Questioning the PPP’s role in Punjab, the provincial information minister said: “When will you, while living in Punjab, ever fight Punjab’s case? Do you want the people of Punjab to be deprived of wheat, flour, and bread?”.
She added: “If you were capable of doing anything, you wouldn’t be sitting at home telling us where the flood was going to strike or where the embankment was going to breach. Such decisions are made by governments according to situation and circumstances.”
Lahore Electric Bus Service second phase launched
Maryam inaugurated the second phase of the Lahore Electric Bus Service, terming it a gift for the people of the provincial capital.
Under the expansion, 40 new buses will be introduced, with operations on two new routes — Raiwind to Jinnah Terminal at Thokar Niaz Baig, and Jinnah Terminal to Harbanspura.
The fare has been set at just Rs20, while senior citizens, women, students, and special persons will be able to travel for free. The buses are equipped with free Wi-Fi, cellphone charging ports, separate compartments for women, and CCTV monitoring. The ceremony also featured the screening of a documentary showcasing the features of the new service.
