Bilawal rejects AJK election results, demands re-p…

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari has criticised the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), accusing it of avoiding questions about its performance and shifting the blame onto the federal government through what she described as a misleading political narrative. In a statement, Bukhari said the PPP had failed to address major public issues in Sindh, particularly in Karachi, where, according to her, residents continued to struggle with water shortages and depended on the tanker mafia for access to basic necessities. She questioned the PPP’s criticism of the federal government and said the party should focus on its own performance instead of creating what she called a false narrative against the centre. Commenting on the response to previous floods, Bukhari said PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had advised the government to seek donations during the crisis. She claimed that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz took practical steps to respond to the disaster using the province’s own resources, while the federal government did not provide the support Punjab expected. The provincial information minister also criticised what she described as the PPP’s repeated complaints against its political opponents. She said the party’s tendency to “cry foul” had become a routine part of its politics. Bukhari added that political tensions could ease if the opposition reduced its rhetoric. “If the political temperature comes down from the other side, we will also respond in the same manner,” she said. Taking aim at the Sindh government’s healthcare system, Bukhari questioned why senior leaders and ministers from the province travelled abroad for medical treatment if the healthcare facilities in Sindh were as effective as the PPP claimed. She also highlighted the Punjab government’s focus on southern Punjab, saying Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had given the region special attention and was working to improve development and public services there. Bukhari further accused the PPP of adopting different standards when discussing political and administrative issues. She said the party frequently used the southern Punjab issue as a political card while opposing similar demands for the creation of new administrative units in Sindh. The Punjab information minister argued that the PPP should maintain consistency in its political position and apply the same principles to administrative reforms across the country.

  A convicted murderer allegedly died by suicide inside Muzaffargarh District Jail, prompting authorities to launch an investigation into the incident. According to police, Shahid Iqbal Gabol, a resident of Alipur, had been serving a life sentence after a court convicted him of murdering his wife. Jail authorities said Gabol was also receiving treatment for a mental health condition during his imprisonment. Police said Gabol allegedly used a bedsheet to make a noose and hung himself from a grill inside the prison. Jail staff discovered him and informed the relevant authorities. Police from City Police Station said they have begun legal proceedings to determine the circumstances surrounding the death. Meanwhile, prison officials have launched an internal inquiry to establish whether any negligence by jail staff contributed to the incident and to identify those responsible, if any. Authorities are expected to examine the circumstances leading up to the death, including the prisoner’s mental health treatment and the security measures in place at the time of the incident.