Punjab Information and Culture Minister Azma Bukhari has questioned the reported use of a charter aircraft by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister.
Speaking in Lahore on September 4, Bukhari asked how much the flight would cost the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
She also questioned why the KP chief minister was using a charter aircraft while, according to her, the provincial government faces financial pressures.
Bukhari claimed that the province lacks sufficient funds for salaries and wheat purchases. However, these claims were part of her political criticism and were not independently verified in her statement.
Bukhari Challenges YouTubers Over Coverage
Bukhari also criticized YouTubers who had previously raised questions about aircraft used by Punjab officials.
She asked why those who had repeatedly criticized aircraft use were now silent over the reported charter flight involving the KP chief minister.
According to Bukhari, some YouTubers were also traveling with the KP chief minister.
She questioned whether the chief minister himself would bear the cost of the charter aircraft or whether the provincial government would pay for it.
Demand for Passenger and Payment Records
Bukhari called on the KP government to release complete details of the flight.
She specifically demanded the passenger list, payment records and flight tracking data.
She also questioned information being circulated about the flight number and boarding passes.
According to Bukhari, the flight number shown in some material corresponds to a route between Islamabad and Bahawalpur. She claimed that the aircraft carrying the KP delegation instead traveled to Rahim Yar Khan.
Bukhari said this difference indicated that the aircraft was a charter flight.
‘Bring Out the Receipts’
Bukhari accused her political opponents of blaming others for actions that they themselves allegedly commit.
She also criticized the leadership of her political opponents, saying a leader who had repeatedly accused others of corruption had himself faced serious allegations.
Bukhari ended her criticism with a demand for documentary evidence.
“Now verbal explanations will not work. Bring out the receipts,” she said.
Political Dispute Over Public Spending
The controversy reflects the wider political dispute between Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments over public spending and the use of government resources.
Bukhari’s remarks place the reported charter flight under scrutiny and call for transparency over its cost and passengers.
The KP government has yet to respond to the specific demands cited in Bukhari’s statement.
Any final assessment of the flight’s cost and funding would require official passenger records, payment documents and verified flight data.
