Punjab Information Minister Uzma Bukhari, while reacting to the recent statement of Special Assistant to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shafi Jan, has said that Lahore is open for any kind of political activity, however, endangering law and order or disrupting state order will never be allowed.
Uzma Bukhari said that Lahore is not just a city but is the cultural, educational and administrative center of Pakistan, where millions of people carry out their daily routines. According to her, any protest or political activity must keep in mind the fact that the people should not be put to hardship.
She questioned the performance of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, saying that the province’s fundamental problems could not be resolved in the past decade or so. “When governance issues are not resolved in our own province, turning to other provinces is nothing but political point scoring,” Uzma Bukhari said.
The Punjab Information Minister said that under the leadership of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, cleanliness, infrastructure and civic amenities projects are being completed rapidly in the entire province, including Lahore, due to which leaders of other provinces are also having to give examples of Punjab. She said that public problems are not solved by mere statements or protest announcements, but practical steps are necessary.
Uzma Bukhari made it clear that if any leader or worker comes to Lahore, he must fully respect the laws here. She said that everyone has the right to protest, but cooperation with law enforcement agencies is indispensable while exercising this right. “The roads of Lahore are not for any political experiment or demonstration of power, but for public convenience,” she said.
Protest or political show in Lahore? Uzma Bukhari’s ambiguous stance on Shafi Jan’s statement