{
  "id": 6899394,
  "title": "'The real issue is her rising popularity': Marriyum defends Maryam amid criticism over jet use, terrorism remarks",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/the-real-issue-is-her-rising-popularity-marriyum-defends-maryam-amid-6899394",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-12T09:19:27.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn",
    "slug": "dawn",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2029353/the-real-issue-is-her-rising-popularity-marriyum-defends-maryam-amid-criticism-over-jet-use-terrorism-remarks"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb defended Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Saturday, amid criticism over her use of a government jet for a private visit and her remarks on Punjab facing a terrorism threat from neighboring provinces. Aurangzeb stated in a post on X that the real issue was Maryam Nawaz's performance and her rising popularity, not the plane or her statement. She clarified that Maryam Nawaz would cover the costs of her trip to London, which she had taken last week to attend her daughter Mahnoor's graduation ceremony. The Punjab government asserts that the Chief Minister covered all expenses of the trip. This followed Maryam Nawaz's controversial remarks that Punjab faced a greater security threat from neighboring provinces than neighboring countries, which led to a resolution in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly seeking action against her under Article 6 of the Constitution. KP Information Minister Shafi Jan made derogatory and sexist remarks about Maryam Nawaz and her Information Minister Azma Bokhari during the session, which Aurangzeb condemned. She criticized Jan's \"cheap rhetoric\" as indicative of the PTI's tradition of using foul language against women. Aurangzeb emphasized that those who use Maryam Nawaz's statement to \"spread hatred among the provinces and division in the nation\" should apologize to the public.",
  "summary": "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. “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,”…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Dawn - Pakistan",
        "title": "'The real issue is her rising popularity': Marriyum defends Maryam amid criticism over jet use, terrorism remarks",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/the-real-issue-is-her-rising-popularity-marriyum-defends-maryam-amid",
        "published": "2026-09-12T09:19:27.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}