Punjab Government to Take Legal Action Over ‘Official Plane’ Disinformation

The Punjab government has announced plans to initiate legal proceedings against individuals and platforms spreading what it described as false claims regarding the use of the provincial government’s official aircraft, Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Sunday.

Addressing the matter on X, the minister condemned a “deliberate and malicious campaign of lies and fabricated stories” carried out by what she called “known pathological liars and peddlers of fake news” about the use of the Punjab government’s official plane.

She added that the provincial government intends to approach courts under the Defamation Law 2024 against all parties involved in spreading the alleged disinformation. “Disinformation will no longer go unanswered. Those who think they can malign institutions and mislead the public without consequence should prepare to face the law,” Aurangzeb said.

The minister also emphasized that the Punjab government would pursue the maximum penalty under the law to send a clear message that “fake news is not journalism but defamation.”

The controversy arose after criticism over Punjab’s acquisition of a Gulfstream business jet reportedly valued at around Rs10 billion. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) alleged the aircraft was intended for the personal use of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

However, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari clarified that the jet forms part of a broader “Air Punjab” initiative, under which a fleet of aircraft would be acquired through purchase and lease arrangements.

Aviation sources reported that the Punjab government acquired a Gulfstream G500 aircraft with the American registration number N144S at an estimated cost of Rs10 billion. Flight tracking data shows the seven-year-old jet arrived in Lahore on December 28 after traveling from Bangor, North America, to Hurghada, Egypt, before landing at Allama Iqbal International Airport.

The aircraft underwent interior refurbishment over approximately 40 days at Lahore airport and conducted its first domestic flight on February 6 from Lahore to Multan. Since then, it has flown to destinations including Quetta, Mianwali, Sialkot, and Rawalpindi under the call sign “PUNJAB2.”