The Punjab government on Sunday announced it will initiate legal proceedings against individuals and platforms spreading “false claims” regarding the use of the provincial government’s newly acquired official aircraft.
In a post on X, Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said a “deliberate and malicious campaign of lies and fabricated stories” was being conducted by “known pathological liars and peddlers of fake news” over the use of the Punjab government’s official plane.
She said the provincial government had decided to approach courts under the Defamation Law, 2024 against every individual and platform involved in spreading the alleged disinformation. “Disinformation will no longer go unanswered. Those who think they can malign institutions and mislead the public without consequence should prepare to face the law,” she warned.
Aurangzeb said the Punjab government would seek the maximum penalty under the law to send a clear message that “fake news is not journalism but defamation.”
The warning comes as the controversy over the Punjab government’s purchase of a Gulfstream business jet, reportedly worth around Rs. 10 billion, shows no signs of abating. Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari had initially claimed the plane was acquired for a proposed “Air Punjab” but later other Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leaders said it was procured for the use of the chief minister and to “attract investment” to the province.
The criticism is largely aimed at the funds spent on the plane amidst the government’s stated austerity drive and claims of financial concerns that the center has blamed for imposing a slew of taxes on the public, including the country’s highest-ever petroleum levy. More recently, some journalists had alleged the plane had flown on a private trip to Italy, with the Punjab government denying this.