{"id":5187,"date":"2025-04-26T12:04:45","date_gmt":"2025-04-26T12:04:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/?p=5187"},"modified":"2025-04-26T12:04:45","modified_gmt":"2025-04-26T12:04:45","slug":"punjab-to-launch-air-punjab-and-pakistans-first-bullet-train-azma-bokhari","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/?p=5187","title":{"rendered":"Punjab to launch Air Punjab and Pakistan\u2019s first bullet train: Azma Bokhari"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>Punjab\u2019s Information Minister Azma Bokhari on Saturday announced two major infrastructure projects \u2014 the launch of a provincial airline named Air Punjab and Pakistan\u2019s first bullet train from Lahore to Rawalpindi \u2014 while sharply criticising India\u2019s leadership over tensions in Kashmir.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, Bokhari described the airline and high-speed rail as \u201chistoric initiatives\u201d by a provincial government.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAir Punjab will initially lease four aircraft and operate domestically. Within a year, we hope to acquire an international air license,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>She also announced a bullet train project between Lahore and Rawalpindi, stating the route will cover the distance in just 2 hours and 20 minutes. Additional routes across the province are also planned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is the first time in Pakistan\u2019s history that a provincial government is launching its own airline and bullet train network,\u201d Bokhari said. A glass train between Rawalpindi and Murree is also in the pipeline, she added.<\/p>\n<p>Turning to India-Pakistan relations, Bokhari condemned Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of following \u201cIsraeli tactics\u201d in Kashmir and attempting to destabilise the region through false flag operations.<\/p>\n<p>Referring to a recent incident in Indian-administered Kashmir&#8217;s Pahalgam area, she rejected Indian allegations of Pakistani involvement and called it a pre-planned narrative by New Delhi.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cModi is trying to turn Kashmir into another Gaza. India is no longer a democracy \u2014 it has become the world\u2019s largest killing field for Muslims and minorities,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Bokhari recalled the Jaffar Express terror attack in Pakistan, stating that India had never condemned the incident despite clear evidence. She said Pakistan\u2019s military had swiftly neutralised the attackers and rescued hostages.<\/p>\n<p>Slamming Indian water threats, Bokhari warned that any attempt by India to choke Pakistan\u2019s water supply under the Indus Waters Treaty would be met with severe retaliation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Indus Waters Treaty is not a tea stall for Modi to dismantle. Pakistan will respond to the first brick of any dam with stone,\u201d she warned.<\/p>\n<p>She labelled Modi a \u201cglobal terrorist\u201d and claimed that every time he comes to power, global peace deteriorates.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWars are not won by weapons, but by the spirit of sacrifice. If the state declares jihad, every Pakistani becomes a soldier,\u201d she declared.<\/p>\n<p>The minister concluded by calling for national unity and preparedness in the face of Indian aggression, reminding that Pakistan had responded decisively in the past, including nuclear tests in 1998 after India\u2019s provocations.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Punjab\u2019s Information Minister Azma Bokhari on Saturday announced two major infrastructure projects \u2014 the launch of a provincial airline named Air Punjab and Pakistan\u2019s first bullet train from Lahore to Rawalpindi \u2014 while sharply criticising India\u2019s leadership over tensions in Kashmir. Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, Bokhari described the airline and high-speed rail [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-english-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5187","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5187"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5187\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipp-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}