Pak. Punjab Govt Faces Backlash for Omitting Quaid-e-Azam from Minority Week Campaign

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Lahore , Ali Imran Chattha- The Punjab government’s “Minority Week” celebrations have triggered intense political and public outrage after promotional posters showcased Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, and Army Chief General Asim Munir—while omitting the image of Pakistan’s founder, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

The move sparked accusations of “erasing history” and “betraying Pakistan’s ideology”. Former Punjab Parliamentary Secretary and PTI South Punjab President Mahinder Pal Singh condemned the omission in a video filmed at Greater Iqbal Park, calling it “treason against the very idea of Pakistan” and urging the Chief Justice to take notice.

Leaders from across the political spectrum joined the criticism. Jamaat-e-Islami’s Deputy Secretary General Qaiser Sharif labeled the exclusion “a national insult” and demanded a formal apology from CM Maryam’s cabinet, particularly Minority Affairs Minister Ramesh Singh Arora and Adviser Rana Mashhood.

Public sentiment was equally strong. Citizens questioned how Minority Week could be celebrated without honoring the leader who, in his historic August 11, 1947 speech, guaranteed religious freedom and minority rights.

While the Punjab government has yet to issue a response, civil society groups have announced protests, warning that the incident represents “an erasure of Pakistan’s foundational values”.