LAHORE – A deleted tweet sparked embarrassing controversy within Punjab’s ruling PML-N, with Information Minister Azma Bokhari publicly criticising fellow party lawmaker Hina Parvez Butt over her controversial remarks celebrating a suspect’s death in a police encounter.
In late interview, Azma Bokhari questioned Butt’s judgment, admitting that such irresponsible statements had become a source of embarrassment for the Punjab government. She distanced the Punjab government from Butt’s remarks and questioned the seriousness of her social media statements.
The controversy erupted after Hina Parvez Butt shared news of the death of Tauqeer Nazir, accused of brutally crushing a 15-year-old orphan boy with his vehicle, and suggested that Maryam Nawaz’s government delivered immediate justice. The post triggered criticism, with questions raised over whether a suspect’s death in police custody could be celebrated as justice without a judicial trial.
Azma Bokhari says that Maryam Nawaz did not order police encounters after Hina Parvez Butt called the Multan suspect’s death “instant justice.” Hina later deleted her post following criticism. 😶🌫️
#AzmaBokhari #HinaParvezButt #MaryamNawaz #HideSideMagazine https://t.co/WbSL95H05n— HideSide Magazine (@hidesidewithak) October 22, 2026
Hina Butt subsequently deleted the post, prompting further questions about the government’s position on controversial police encounters.
During an interview, Shahzeb confronted Bokhari over the deleted tweet, questioning whether Butt’s remarks had effectively linked the chief minister to the controversial encounter. Bokhari rejected that interpretation but offered little defence of her party colleague.
Instead, she questioned how seriously Butt approached her social media activity, saying the lawmaker had previously made statements without fully understanding their implications.
She mentioned not feeling comfortable discussing Hina Butt extensively, but acknowledged that such statements had created difficulties for the lawmaker herself and embarrassment for the government. Her comments show disagreement within the ruling party over how police encounters should be portrayed publicly, particularly when suspects die before facing trial.
The interview took a sharper turn when host Shahzeb Khanzada questioned whether Punjab’s Crime Control Department (CCD) had been given instructions to eliminate hardened criminals through police encounters. Bokhari categorically denied that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had authorised extrajudicial killings.
She questioned why the chief minister would issue such orders and insisted that the provincial government did not support unlawful killings. The exchange followed reports that Tauqeer Nazir, who had been arrested over the horrific killing of a teenage boy, escaped CCD custody before being killed in an alleged exchange of gunfire near Bahawalpur.
According to the CCD account discussed during the programme, police attempted to stop suspicious motorcycle riders, who allegedly opened fire. Nazir was killed during the exchange, while other suspects reportedly escaped. The circumstances surrounding his death have raised questions, particularly because the original murder was captured on CCTV and the accused could have faced prosecution in court.
Recent figures show 924 suspects killed in 670 police encounters during the department’s first eight months. Shahzeb argued that repeated incidents involving similar circumstances demanded scrutiny, warning that allowing police to function as judges and executioners could undermine the rule of law.
Bokhari disputed the suggestion that all CCD encounters followed the same pattern. She said seven CCD personnel had been killed and more than 100 injured during the department’s first year, arguing that officers routinely faced dangerous criminals and armed resistance. She maintained that many suspects were arrested and prosecuted through normal legal procedures, and that it was unfair to judge the entire department solely through controversial encounters.
Bokhari also revealed distressing details about the teenage victim whose killing triggered the controversy. According to her account, the boy and his brother had been placed in an orphanage following their father’s death after relatives declined to care for them. The victim had reportedly worked at the accused’s shop for seven days without receiving wages, surviving on just two meals a day.
Bokhari claimed the boy had attempted to escape several times before the accused allegedly chased him and crushed him with a vehicle. She termed attack an example of the abuse of power against vulnerable children and questioned why relatives who had allegedly failed to support the boy were now coming forward to mourn him.
Bokhari also disclosed that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had expressed serious concern over crimes against women and children during a law-and-order meeting. She said police officials had been given four weeks to improve the situation in their districts.
Despite Bokhari’s categorical rejection of any government policy authorising extrajudicial killings, Hina Parvez Butt’s deleted post remained a central point of controversy. Khanzada argued that celebrating an encounter as immediate justice could reinforce suspicions that suspects were being punished outside the courts.
Bokhari maintained that the government stood with victims rather than powerful offenders, while acknowledging that officials who exceeded their legal authority should face consequences.
