Lahore: A heated debate erupted in the Punjab Assembly over the provincial government’s purchase of a new aircraft for the chief minister, with Information Minister Uzma Bukhari strongly defending the move.
During the question hour session, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmaker Shazia Abid questioned whether the chief minister would use the reported Rs11 billion aircraft for visits to Rajanpur.
Responding to the criticism, Uzma Bukhari said, “If Bilawal Bhutto Zardari can travel on the Sindh government’s plane, then this is the Punjab government’s aircraft — it is their choice.”
The purchase of the aircraft, reportedly costing around Rs10–11 billion, has drawn sharp criticism from opposition members. Opposition Leader Moin Riaz Qureshi questioned the justification and budgetary allocation for the acquisition, asking under which head the aircraft was purchased and why it was necessary.
In protest, opposition lawmakers symbolically waved paper airplanes inside the assembly.
The Speaker remarked that if it were his responsibility to respond, he would have justified the purchase, but clarified that providing the answer was not within his role.
The session grew further tense when opposition members raised concerns regarding the health and imprisonment of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Ruling party member Rana Arshad responded by urging critics to reflect on their own tenure.
The atmosphere escalated after a treasury member used controversial language regarding the PTI founder, prompting the Speaker to order the removal of unparliamentary remarks from the official record and caution members against using inappropriate language about political leaders.
The aircraft purchase continues to generate political debate, highlighting growing tensions between the treasury and opposition benches in the province.
