ISLAMABAD (Lord Media): Federal Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain on Wednesday reaffirmed his corruption allegations against Punjab, stating he would address the legal notice issued to him, while criticizing Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s comments as “below the belt” amid rising political tensions.

Salik attributed the escalating controversy to the chief minister and her team, suggesting their aggressive response had transformed his general corruption observations into a political clash.

In interviews with private TV channels, Salik dismissed notions that his remarks were part of a plot against the Punjab government or that the PML-Q was planning to join an anti-government alliance.

He noted that the next general elections were still about two and a half years away, questioning which elections Maryam referred to.

Salik insisted he would not retract his statements or back down from his stance on corruption, promising to respond to the legal notice soon.

“Reality is reality. I stand by it,” he stated during a political talk show, addressing questions about his brother Shafay Hussain’s role in the Punjab government he criticized.

He condemned involving the entire Chaudhry family, especially his father, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, in the controversy as inappropriate.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government, led by Maryam Nawaz, launched fresh criticisms against the Chaudhry family. Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari compared Moonis Elahi and the federal minister, labeling them as inept young men damaging their family’s political legacy.

Bukhari claimed Salik’s recent comments indicated a loss of sanity, accusing him and Moonis Elahi of testing the Chaudhry family and harming its dignified political style.

She alleged the family had a history of betraying the Sharif family, which had helped establish their political status. Salik, she noted, seemed more involved in petty disputes than maintaining the family’s dignity.

“Those who demean women cannot claim dignity,” Bukhari said, adding that the Chaudhry family had yet to respond to Maryam Nawaz’s legal notice.

She suggested Salik should resign if unable to respond to the notice and criticized the PML-Q’s contradictory politics, questioning their corruption allegations while seeking government funds.

Bukhari claimed Maryam Nawaz achieved in Gujrat what generations of Chaudhry leadership could not, granting the district rights denied for 50 years.