LAHORE:Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari has said that the KP government’s ministers and their team are incompetent and uninformed, completely unaware of the actual facts.
She said it’s unclear what reports they have been reading, but they certainly do not reflect reality. The fact is that, under the supervision of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, special Ramazan bazaars were set up where the public received 31pc more relief compared to the open market.
These Ramazan bazaars saw historic sales of 3.11 billion rupees. On the other hand, the KP government, which claims to bring about "Tabdeeli" distributed 10 billion rupees among its own party members in the name of the Ramazan package. She expressed these views in response to a statement by Barrister Saif.
Azma Bukhari further said that in Punjab, the highest amount of relief was provided to the people through the Ramazan package and special bazaars. In contrast, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could not even set up a single Ramadan bazaar. Lies and propaganda cannot hide the corruption and theft of the KP government.
Gandapur is the only Chief Minister whose own cabinet and party members are calling him corrupt and a thief. The Information Minister added that no corruption allegation, not even of a single penny, has been made against Maryam Nawaz’s projects even after a year. Every project in Punjab stands as a model of transparency and merit.
Meanwhile, Azma Bokhari has said that despite complete guarantees from theatre owners, violations of SOPs were found at some venues. Consequently, action is being taken solely against those who failed to comply with the regulations.
Azma Bokhari made it clear that her mission is the complete eradication of obscenity and vulgarity from theatres. She emphasised that theatres must have an environment where families can comfortably and safely enjoy performances.
‘We gave theatre owners and artists a year to reform, during which all parties provided written guarantees to turn theatres into centers of family entertainment. ‘The government is taking action only against those who violated SOPs despite the assurances given,’ the minister said.
She asserted that she is neither concerned about any threats nor will she be blackmailed. Azma Bokhari also announced that new legislation aimed at eliminating obscenity from theatres is being introduced soon, and a comprehensive theatre policy will be launched in the coming days.
She described the public's positive response to these reforms as encouraging, noting that the people also want theatres to be a clean and high-quality source of entertainment. She concluded by stating that the purpose of the measures being taken for the improvement of theatres is to provide a healthy recreational environment, and the public’s support is a source of great motivation.