Lahore woman says CM Maryam gave Rs3,000 “for pictures” then her team took it back

A video circulating on social media showed a woman in Lahore alleging that Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif staged a publicity stunt by distributing Rs3,000 among needy families during Ramadan but the money was taken back by her team.

The woman living in the slums near the Lahore Motorway was interviewed by journalist Reham Khan, during which, she lamented the rising cost of living since Maryam Nawaz took charge of the province.

She stated that inflation has impacted their livelihood, "making it difficult to sell even basic items like toys."

During the interview, she claimed that CM Maryam visited the slum areas in Ramadan and distributed Rs3000 as Eidi among the families but they were taken back with only Rs500 returned.

“Two men and one woman came later and took back the amount,” she said.

مریم نواز کی ٹیم نے 3000 دیے ویڈیو بنی پھر وہ واپس لے لیے اور پانچ پانچ سو دے کر چلے گئے۔ دھوکا اور وہ غریب ترین طبقے کے ساتھ pic.twitter.com/ieJm1zdfSl

— Tariq Mateen (@tariqmateen) May 9, 2024

The video sparked mixed reactions online.

While Maryam's opponent criticised her after the video of this interview went viral on social media, others highlighted that Rs3,000 is not a big enough amount for the Chief Minister to engage in such behavior. 

Some suggested that if any such incident occurred, it was likely done by her team without bringing it to her knowledge.