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'The real issue is her rising popularity': Marriyum defends Maryam amid criticism over jet use, terrorism remarks

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News Desk. (2026, September 12). 'The real issue is her rising popularity': Marriyum defends Maryam amid criticism over jet use, terrorism remarks. Dawn. https://www.dawn.com/news/2029353/the-real-issue-is-her-rising-popularity-marriyum-defends-maryam-amid-criticism-over-jet-use-terrorism-remarks

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Dawn · collected 2026-09-12 · by News Desk

Quick Summary

Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb defended Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz against criticism over her use of a government jet for personal travel and remarks about terrorism threats from neighboring provinces. Aurangzeb stated that the real issue is Maryam's rising popularity, not the specific incidents. She also criticized Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Shafi Jan for derogatory comments made during an assembly session discussing Maryam’s statements, calling his rhetoric sexist and unbecoming of a Pashtun tradition.
Written by AI on 2026-09-12, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb defended Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Saturday amid criticism over Nawaz's use of a government jet for a private trip to London and her controversial remarks about terrorism threats from neighboring provinces. Aurangzeb stated, "The issue these days is not the plane or Maryam Nawaz’s statement; the real issue is with Maryam Nawaz’s performance and her rising popularity." Nawaz had traveled to London last week to attend her daughter Mahnoor's graduation ceremony and was criticized for using a government aircraft. The Punjab government asserts that Nawaz covered all expenses of the trip. In response, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly passed a majority resolution seeking action against Nawaz under Article 6 of the Constitution due to her comments on terrorism threats from neighboring provinces. During the assembly session, KP Information Minister Shafi Jan made derogatory and sexist remarks about Nawaz and Information Minister Azma Bokhari.

Written for “Maryam's Popularity Controversy” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Maryam's Popularity Controversy
Politics · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 0% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
Dawn
Hedges 2 of 14 claims Outlet record 72/100
“The articles describe different defenses and timespans in support of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz's use of an official jet, indicating they cover separate incidents or responses to criticism.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
22
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
0%
0 of 22 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
withheld
no quote in the article backed the model's score
Publisher signals
72/100
Dawn's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-09-12 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Dawn · 2483 article(s) · 3 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 3 correction(s)

Who wrote this

News Desk
329 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 He began by saying that Pakistan and Singapore enjoyed longstanding and friendly ties focused on mutual respect and goodwill, and Pakistan was one of the first countries to recognise Singapore following its independence in 1965.
🔮 Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday affirmed that Pakistan and Turkiye would continue to push for dialogue and diplomacy while strengthening their defences under the Makkah Defence Agreement.
🔮 “The situation could have deteriorated as far as the Yemen issue is concerned […] There has been some talk and peace may emerge in the coming days or week as far as Saudi Arabia versus Yemen [sic] is concerned.”
🔮 “The situation could have deteriorated as far as the Yemen issue is concerned […] There has been some talk and peace may emerge in the coming days or week as far as Saudi Arabia versus Yemen (sic) is concerned.”
🔮 “The situation could have deteriorated as far as the Yemen issue is concerned […] There has been some talk and peace may emerge in the coming days or week as far as Saudi Arabia versus Yemen (sic) is concerned.”
🔮 Earlier in the day, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi condemned the incident, asserting that Pakistan would “never tolerate” attacks on its people or violations of its sovereignty.
🔮 It added that another geared vessel, MV GREAT RAINBOW, carrying 599,000 metric tonnes of wheat, was expected to arrive on Nov 3.
2026-10-28 · assertive framing · Consignment of imported wheat arrives at Karachi port
🔮 Their defence ties drew international attention during the May 2025 conflict between Pakistan and India, when Pakistan used Chinese-made J-10C fighter jets.
🔮 “Sanitisation operations are being conducted to eliminate any other Indian sponsored terrorist found in the area,” the statement read, adding that a relentless counterterrorism campaign under the vision “Azm e Istehkam” will continue at full pace to “wipe out [the] menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country”.
🔮 “Sanitisation operations are being conducted to eliminate any other Indian sponsored terrorist found in the area,” the statement read, adding that a relentless counterterrorism campaign under the vision “Azm e Istehkam” will continue at full pace to “wipe out [the] menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country”.
Wire or desk byline, not an individual reporter.
Also by News Desk
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 329 articles by News Desk →

Topics

Lahore London PTI Punjab the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly

Subjects

Maryam PERSON · 5× Punjab GPE · 4× Aurangzeb PERSON · 3× PTI ORG · 3× Shafi Jan PERSON · 3× Azma Bokhari PERSON · 2× Jan PERSON · 2× London GPE · 2× Maryam Nawaz PERSON · 2× Maryam Nawaz’s PERSON · 2×

Narrative

The remarks were widely panned, with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Friday passing a majority resolution seeking action against her under Article 6 of the Constitution over the remarks, after suspending the day’s agenda. However, during the assembly session, KP Information Minister Shafi Jan had resorted to making derogatory and sexist remarks about the Punjab chief minister and Information Minister Azma Bokhari.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-12
🔮 “The issue these days is not the plane or Maryam Nawaz’s statement; the real issue is with Maryam Nawaz’s performance and her rising popularity,” Aurangzeb said in a post on X. She said that it had already been made clear that CM Maryam would bear the expenses of her visit to London.

Claims (22 extracted, 0 hedged)

Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on Saturday defended Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz amid recent criticism of her use of a government jet for a private visit and her remarks on the province facing a terrorism threat from neighbouring provinces. asserted
Aurangzeb → defend → provinces
“The issue these days is not the plane or Maryam Nawaz’s statement; the real issue is with Maryam Nawaz’s performance and her rising popularity,” Aurangzeb said in a post on X. She said that it had already been made clear that CM Maryam would bear the expenses of her visit to London. asserted
Maryam → rise → London
The chief minister had travelled to London last week to attend the graduation ceremony of her daughter, Mahnoor, and returned to Lahore on Wednesday. asserted
minister → travel → Wednesday
The Punjab government insists the CM bore all expenses of the trip. asserted
CM → insist → trip
The development had followed CM Maryam’s remarks that Punjab faced a greater security threat from “neighbouring provinces than from neighbouring countries”. asserted
Punjab → follow → countries
The remarks were widely panned, with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Friday passing a majority resolution seeking action against her under Article 6 of the Constitution over the remarks, after suspending the day’s agenda. However, during the assembly session, KP Information Minister Shafi Jan had resorted to making derogatory and sexist remarks about the Punjab chief minister and Information Minister Azma Bokhari. asserted
Jan → pan → minister
Aurangzeb said on Saturday that those using CM Maryam’s statement to “spread hatred among the provinces and division in the nation” should apologise to the public. asserted
those → say → public
Criticising Jan’s remarks, she said his “cheap rhetoric” was in line with the PTI and its leadership’s “detestable tradition of using foul language against women”. asserted
rhetoric → criticise → women
“Unfortunately, these elements have been imposed on KP who are not even aware of the traditions of the proud Pashtuns who respect their mothers, sisters and daughters,” she said. asserted
she → impose → mothers
“Terrorists blow human bodies to pieces with guns and suicide jackets, and their facilitators use language as a weapon to insult humans, especially women,” Aurangzeb said. asserted
Aurangzeb → blow → humans
Meanwhile, the KP information minister was also criticised for his remarks against CM Maryam and Bokhari. asserted
minister → criticise → Maryam
PML-N’s Samar Haroon Bilour reacted to the comments on X, saying: “I wonder what Shafi Jan’s mother will be thinking about her son tonight.” asserted
mother → react → son
Journalist Asad Ali Toor termed the PTI an “expert of self-goals”. asserted
Toor → term → goals
He said that Jan had given a “disgusting statement” against Bokhari when CM Maryam and the PML-N was under pressure. asserted
Maryam → say → pressure
Shafi Jan should immediately render an unconditional apology not only to Azma Bokhari but also to all Pakistani women!” he said. asserted
he → render → women
“Basically these guys are raised in an environment where respect for women is not even norm, they treat women like a commodity and look down upon them.. asserted
they → raise → them
shameless fellow,” said former PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry. asserted
Chaudhry → say → ?
Meher Bano Qureshi, the daughter of former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, said: “An apology is due. asserted
apology → say → Qureshi
There is a lot to criticise when it comes to Maryam Nawaz and her coterie of hand maidens but the unparliamentary and ungentlemanly language used is wrong and deeply offensive. asserted
language → be → maidens
I would urge my brother Shafi Jan to retract his words and tender an apology,” she said. asserted
she → urge → apology
“Of course, the kind of filth spewed in Punjab Assembly is just reflective of their own upbringing. asserted
kind → spew → upbringing
We should not and must not stoop to their level,” she said. asserted
she → stoop → level
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