MULTAN: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has defended her use of a government aircraft during a recent private trip to London. She said she personally covered the expenses linked to the journey.

Speaking at the inauguration of an electric bus service in Multan, Maryam Nawaz addressed criticism over the aircraft. She said the plane belongs to the office of the Punjab chief minister, not to her personally. She also noted that all provincial chief ministers have access to official aircraft.

According to payment records reported on September 17, Rs27.194 million was deposited into the Punjab government treasury. The payment covered expenses related to the aircraft used for her London visit. The trip was made to attend her daughter’s graduation ceremony.

Maryam said she had previously travelled abroad on commercial flights. She added that she would use an official aircraft when necessary for public duties. She also said government work continues while she is travelling.

The chief minister said she remains accountable to the people. She dismissed the need to respond to every critic or social media commentator. She also claimed that criticism had increased because of her government’s development work.

During the Multan event, Maryam Nawaz defended Punjab’s development projects. She said Punjab had not taken the financial share of another province. She also claimed that Punjab had provided resources to other provinces from its own allocation.

She also commented on a recent visit to Punjab by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister. Maryam described the visit as unsuccessful and made several claims about the political activity surrounding it. These remarks were part of her wider criticism of opponents.

The chief minister also announced further expansion of public transport in Punjab. She said green buses would eventually be introduced across every district during the current financial year.

Punjab has separately approved the expansion of its electric bus network to 91 tehsils. The plan includes 1,500 buses from January 2027. The provincial government has set a target of 3,000 electric buses by June 2027.

Maryam also highlighted the provincial electric bike programme for students. The second phase of the scheme was launched earlier this month. More than 432,000 students registered within two days, according to the government.

She said 100,000 electric bikes would be provided to students. The government has also announced wider plans for electric mobility across Punjab.

The chief minister further mentioned improvements in healthcare and public safety. She said advanced cancer-treatment equipment had been installed at a hospital. She also referred to measures aimed at improving law and order.

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Maryam Nawaz said she had faced attempts to intimidate her through criminal cases. She maintained that such actions would not stop her from carrying out her responsibilities.