LAHORE – Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s COP30 visit to Brazil comes under spotlight as Right to Information (RTI) request raised pointed questions about whether individuals outside the officially declared delegation, including possible family members, may have accompanied the trip.
RTI, filed on November 20, 2025, specifically asked for a complete list of everyone who traveled with the Chief Minister, along with full details of public expenditure covering airfare, hotel accommodation, transport, daily allowances, and other related costs. The request emerged amid circulating concerns that the official delegation list did not fully reflect all individuals present during the visit.
Geo Fact Check’s Maha Kanwal filed a Right to Information request with the CM Punjab office regarding Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s visit to COP30 in Brazil in Nov 2025, following claims that unofficial individuals and family members accompanied the delegation.
Thread:
— Benazir Shah (@Benazir_Shah) June 2, 2026
When no response was initially provided, fact-check journo Maha Kanwal escalated matter to Punjab Information Commission (PIC), seeking enforcement of disclosure under transparency laws. Months later, on April 28, the Chief Minister’s Office submitted partial reply through its Public Information Officer, naming 11 officials said to have accompanied the Chief Minister.
The notification said following delegation is hereby notified to accompany Chief Minister Punjab to participate in the 30th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change scheduled to be held from 10-21 November, 2025 at Belem, Brazil.
| Sr.# | Officers | Designation |
| 1 | Mr. Zeeshan Rafique | Minister for Local Government |
| 2 | Mr. Zahid Akhtar Zaman | Chief Secretary Punjab |
| 3 | Dr. Naeem Rauf (PAS/BS-21) | Chairman, P&D Board Punjab |
| 4 | Mr. Shakeel Ahmed (PAS/BS-21) | Secretary, LG&CDD |
| 5 | Mr. Imran Hamid Sheikh (PAS/BS-20) | Director General, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) |
| 6 | Mr. Ahmad Rajwana (PAS) | Managing Director, Punjab Resource Management Program / Program Coordinator Punjab Clean Air Program |
| 7 | Capt. (R) Abdur Rehman (PAS) | Additional Secretary to Chief Minister Punjab |
| 8 | Mr. Babar Sahib Din (PAS) | Chief Executive Officer, LWMC |
| 9 | Capt. (R) Muhammad Ali Ijaz (PAS) | Personal Staff Officer to Chief Minister Punjab |
| 10 | Mr. Hamza Amanullah (PSP) | Chief Security Officer to Chief Minister Punjab |
| 11 | Ms. Pakeeza Bukhari | Deputy Director, EPA |
However, the journalist disputed the disclosure, arguing that it did not match visual evidence from the Brazil visit, where photographs appear to show additional individuals present alongside the delegation who were not included in the official list.
The focus of scrutiny has particularly centered on allegations that individuals outside the formal government delegation, including those not holding official positions, may have been part of the entourage, raising questions about who exactly traveled on public-funded arrangements.
The financial transparency aspect has further fueled the dispute. CM’s Office said that it did not hold records of total expenditure for the trip, without clarifying whether such costs were recorded elsewhere or which department would be responsible for maintaining them.
Following what she described as an incomplete and unsatisfactory response, Kanwal filed formal complaint with PIC and continued seeking clarification on both the composition of the delegation and the missing financial documentation. According to reports, no further response has been provided by either the Commission or the Chief Minister’s Office.
It now sparked debate over transparency and accountability, particularly around whether public funds are being used for unofficial travel companions and why full disclosure of official delegations remains under wraps.
CM Maryam Nawaz takes Punjab’s flagship projects to Global Stage at COP30 in Brazil
