Federal Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain has submitted a written response to a legal notice issued by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz over his remarks alleging corruption in the provincial government, according to sources cited by ARY News.
The chief minister had demanded Rs5 billion in damages from the federal minister, accusing him of making baseless and defamatory allegations about corruption in Punjab during an exclusive interview with the television channel.
Sources confirmed that Salik Hussain had formally dispatched his reply to the notice, although the contents of his response were not immediately disclosed.
The legal notice, issued through Maryam Nawaz’s lawyer, challenged statements made by the federal minister during the interview, in which he claimed to have frequently heard reports of corruption in Punjab.
During the discussion, Salik Hussain also remarked that there must be cupboards filled with corruption files in the province rather than merely individual files.
The chief minister’s legal team described these statements as misleading, unsubstantiated and damaging to the reputation of the Punjab government.
According to the notice, the federal minister had failed to present any evidence supporting his allegations.
It further maintained that the interview contained no reference to a documented corruption incident, official investigation or formal complaint that could substantiate the claims.
Maryam Nawaz’s lawyer argued that the remarks were therefore baseless, unverified and defamatory, forming the basis of the Rs5 billion damages demand.
The legal action has also extended to ARY News and its reporter Naeem Ashraf Butt, both of whom received notices in connection with the broadcast of the interview.
Salik Hussain’s written response marks the latest development in the dispute, although it remains unclear whether his reply challenges the allegations contained in the notice or offers any further clarification of his original remarks.
No details have yet emerged regarding the chief minister’s legal team’s response to the federal minister’s submission.
The dispute centres on the minister’s public comments about alleged corruption in Punjab and the chief minister’s contention that those allegations were made without supporting evidence.