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Uzma Bokhari Walks Out of Punjab Assembly in Solidarity With Journalists
Punjab Information Minister Uzma Bokhari staged a walkout from the Punjab Assembly to support journalists boycotting proceedings over alleged ill-treatment during KP CM Sohail Afridi’s visit.
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by Muhammad Hashir
2025-12-30
Uzma Bokhari Walks Out of Punjab Assembly in Solidarity With Journalists

Punjab Information Minister Uzma Bokhari on Tuesday staged a walkout during a Punjab Assembly session in solidarity with journalists who have been boycotting the provincial legislature over alleged ill-treatment during Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s recent visit.

The controversy erupted during the KP chief minister’s three-day visit to Lahore over the weekend, during which he addressed opposition MPAs in the Punjab Assembly. The visit was marred by altercations between members of his entourage and security officials, while heated exchanges between PTI leaders and journalists were also witnessed in the press gallery.

Speaking during the assembly session, Uzma Bokhari said journalists present in the press gallery were “beaten and pushed around” by individuals accompanying the KP chief minister. She said the actions forced journalists to boycott the proceedings in protest.

She also referred to remarks made during Monday’s session by opposition MPA Col. (retd) Shoaib Amir, who called journalists “sellouts”, triggering strong reactions from the media community.

“The whole world witnessed the spectacle in the assembly on the arrival of the KP chief minister,” Bokhari said, adding that full preparations had been made for his visit. However, she alleged that the KP CM brought unauthorised individuals with him who claimed to be journalists.

“These people misbehaved with journalists and physically assaulted members of the press gallery,” she alleged, adding that footage of the incident was available in the assembly’s official records.

Uzma Bokhari said that instead of offering an apology, the opposition escalated the situation. She rejected allegations that journalists were planted during the KP CM’s visit.

“I was accused of planting journalists and even paying my employees to pose as media persons,” she said, adding that she planned to send a defamation notice over the accusations.

“In solidarity with Punjab’s journalists and members of the press gallery, I am staging a walkout,” the minister announced before leaving the session.

On Monday, Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan announced that an inquiry report into the incident would be forwarded to law enforcement agencies for further action.

Meanwhile, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, in a letter to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, expressed “deep concern” over the treatment he received during his Lahore visit, describing it as marked by “discourtesy and unnecessary hostility.”
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