LAHORE: As the Punjab government announced the constitution of a committee to probe alleged bungling in the Ramazan Nigehbaan Package, the opposition has demanded strict action against those involved in misappropriation of the funds meant for deserving people.

“An initial inquiry committee is being constituted to closely examine all aspects of this matter,” Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said on Friday.

“So far, no audit report regarding the [corruption] in the Ramazan package. The misuse of public tax money will not be tolerated under any circumstances. If any form of corruption or mismanagement is found in the package, those [found] responsible will face the strictest legal action,” the minister made it clear.

She further said that soon after the PML-N government took over last year, the relief items under the Ramazan Nigehbaan Package were distributed to beneficiaries based on the existing data. Every effort was made to ensure that the entire process should be transparent and aligned with the public interest, she added.

Opposition demands strict punishment for those found guilty

Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly, Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar, said the recent audit report had clearly exposed the Maryam Nawaz government’s incompetence.

“We demand that those responsible be punished. Billions were wasted just for putting up a photo shoot. People’s dignity was violated by forcing them to stand in front of cameras,” he said.

Bhachar said the audit report was a glaring example of mismanagement and inefficiency.

Referring to the past statements of the PML-N leadership, Bhachar said: “These are the same people who used to claim they had no properties in London, or even in Pakistan,” he said and asked why the CM was keeping her eyes shut on this corruption.

“The CM’s denial of corruption in the Ramazan Package is just like her denial in the Avenfield case,” he said and added that such matters were not a priority for the CM, who is more interested in making TikTok videos.“

The opposition leader said the farmers were already in a miserable state, and even basic medicines were not available in hospitals in Punjab.

Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2025