Azma Bokhari dismisses Punjab debt reports as baseless
She claimed that Punjab has not borrowed a single rupee from the State Bank of Pakistan
LAHORE (Dunya News) - Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari on Tuesday quashed reports about the province’s debts as baseless and misleading.
In her statement, the provincial minister stated that such news is rooted in misunderstandings and propaganda and spread by individuals lacking basic knowledge of financial matters.
She clarified that Punjab has not borrowed a single rupee from the State Bank of Pakistan. The amount mentioned in the report refers to the Punjab government’s investment in federal government Treasury Bills, aimed at earning profits, not taking loans.
Bukhari emphasized that Punjab is currently a surplus province with over one trillion rupees in the provincial government’s accounts, negating any need to borrow.
She added that the institutions mentioned in the report likely belong to the federal government, as no entity under Punjab’s administration has taken any loans.
She expressed surprise that the report’s author was unaware of the basic fact that, under the State Bank Act, no government -federal or provincial - has been allowed to borrow directly from the State Bank since 2019.
The minister further stated that the journalist spreading false and baseless news should be ashamed and issue an apology. Otherwise, the government reserves the right to pursue legal action.
