Amid the ongoing controversy involving Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Salik Hussain, Shafay Hussain has expressed support for his younger brother, saying he would not distance himself from him over his independent views.
Speaking about the dispute, Shafay said Salik was entitled to hold his own opinions and might have access to information about corruption that he himself was unaware of.
Shafay maintained that Salik had neither named Maryam Nawaz nor intended to target her or the Punjab government through his remarks. He suggested that his brother was referring to what he described as systemic corruption, which he said was widely acknowledged.
He also urged politicians to exercise greater tolerance and engage in dialogue to resolve differences, expressing hope that both sides would take steps to ease tensions and address any misunderstandings.
The controversy emerged after Maryam Nawaz served Salik Hussain a Rs5 billion defamation notice over allegations of corruption against her government. She demanded that he withdraw his remarks, while Salik has said he would respond to the legal notice.
On Wednesday, Punjab Information and Culture Minister Azma Bokhari said the government had no intention of removing Shafay Hussain from the provincial cabinet, citing his recent interviews in which he had expressed support for the chief minister.
Bokhari also said Shafay had rejected the allegations made by his brother.
The latest developments come amid a political divide within the Chaudhry family that emerged after the removal of Imran Khan’s government through a no-confidence motion in 2022.
While Chaudhry Parvez Elahi and his son, former federal minister Moonis Elahi, aligned themselves with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the sons of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Salik and Shafay, opted to support the Sharif-led political camp.
