Uzma Bukhari, the Information Minister for Punjab’s Government, has very recently raised concerns regarding the growing antipathy amongst the provincial administrations in Pakistan, explicitly taking the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s chief minister to task. This was outside the Lahore High Court, where she had gone to record her statement in support of apprehending a looming crisis between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab that may endanger the Federation.
Interprovincial Rivalry Poses Risks to National Cooperation Uzma Bukhari
Bukhari said in her critique that relations between Khyber and other provinces must be kept from being sponsored or entertained. You will achieve what you are defeating the purposes for, far more than provincial frontiers for the quantum of the conflict you are engineering. Furthering this point, Bukhari, who, along with her colleagues, fell short of using the more temperate and appropriate term provincial dispute, was raising concerns about Nakqi’s hatred towards the people of Punjab.
As stated by Bukhari, this infighting is not only senseless but even more harmful, ‘disastrophying’ the whole country’s efforts required to resolve recent and existing issues. I would say it is utter control; one province chief minister sits there and decides to attack another province. She noted that, while considering the seriousness of the problem faced by increased interprovincial competition, it will undermine the structure of the Federation. She endorsed previous remarks made by the interior minister Rana Sanaullah, calling the provincial politicians pushing Pakistan to the brink of a disaster.
Upward Trend of Terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Uzma Bukhari
When addressing the media, Uzma Bukhari expressed concern over terrorism and its increase in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is on fire; it is in flames. There is terrorism and terrorist activity daily,” she commented, raising the issue of internal security in that province.
She blamed the provincial government for inaction and failure to contain the situation that had gone out of hand. She scolded, saying the leadership was like Nero fidgeting with his flute when Nero’s focus had to be on other matters, calling the leadership’s attention to unimportant political activities. “They laze around acting with such postures as if in a sordid drama,” she said of the postures of leaders where there is a crisis of security management.
Misallocation of Resources in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Uzma Bukhari
Bukhari expressed concern over how provincial politicians in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are leading the province’s youth toward unrest rather than providing them with opportunities to drive positive change
Measures on the Regulation of Social Media and Misinformation Uzma Bukhari
Bukhari also addressed misinformation, particularly on social media, during the conversation. Referring to the incident, she explained that the video had been edited and was a fraud involving her and the FIA. ‘When the Director General of the FIA testified, he told the judge that they don’t have the resources for such actions,’ she said, emphasizing that this was one reason why most cases remained unresolved. Even after two months, the attack video against her had not been deleted.
Instead, further actions, such as the freezing of their assets, would only be for a short duration.
Military Operations Embedded in Personal Attacks
Bukhari’s reconnaissance report exposed how society systematically assaults people, particularly through social networks. She detailed how this operation strategically targets individuals in phases, with one phase focused on degrading people’s dignity. She pointed out that social media serves as the primary platform for launching attacks against individuals and leaders
According to her, in case of violating any prescribed laws by specific social media platforms, it would be better to eliminate that platform. She urged for strict regulations to prevent the misuse of these platforms to tarnish someone’s reputation.
Conclusion
The quotes of Uzma Bukhari demonstrate the existing friction between the provincial governments and the questions of governance and security in Pakistan. In her scolding to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government, there are more important national issues like unity, fighting terrorism, and political responsibility. She even voiced the still unresolved issue concerning the use of social networks and their regulation in the modern era.
