Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain has said he did not mention Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz by name in his recent remarks about alleged corruption in the province, as he revealed that the Punjab government had withdrawn his Elite Force security.

Speaking to reporters in Lahore, Salik sought to clarify his remarks amid a growing dispute with Maryam, who subsequently served him a Rs5 billion defamation notice. "I did not mention Maryam Nawaz by name," he said.

The federal minister also confirmed that the Punjab government had withdrawn his security, adding that Elite Force personnel had been accompanying him for around one-and-a-half years. Asked whether his elder brother, Punjab Minister for Industries, Commerce and Investment Chaudhry Shafay Hussain, would resign from the provincial cabinet following the controversy, Salik said his brother had not known about his remarks beforehand.

"He did not know that I was going to make the statement. Only he can answer the question about his resignation," Salik said.

He added that he had prepared his response to the legal notice and would make it public within a few days. The latest development follows a public dispute that erupted after Salik criticised the Punjab government's governance and alleged widespread corruption in the province during an interview with a private television channel.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader had praised his paternal uncle, former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, describing him as the best chief executive Punjab had ever had. He also alleged that political considerations were influencing development priorities and the allocation of public funds, claiming that a disproportionate share of Punjab's development budget was being channelled towards Lahore while other districts were being overlooked.

Salik said he regularly heard accounts of corruption in the province, adding that there were so many alleged corruption-related files that they could fill entire cupboards. He acknowledged that he did not possess documentary evidence to substantiate the claims but maintained that corruption was taking place.

Maryam subsequently announced legal action against the federal minister, challenging him to produce evidence or face proceedings. She also questioned why he continued to serve in a government he considered corrupt.

The chief minister linked the controversy to the appointment of the deputy commissioner in Gujrat, alleging that Salik was unhappy because an officer of his choice had not been appointed. Salik, however, rejected the suggestion that his remarks were prompted by the appointment, saying the interview had been recorded weeks earlier.

Maryam later served a Rs5 billion defamation notice on Salik, as well as a news anchor and a television channel's chairman, demanding a retraction, an unconditional apology and damages over the remarks. The notice accused them of making and broadcasting sweeping, unsubstantiated allegations that had damaged the reputation of the chief minister and the provincial administration.

Salik has maintained his position on the corruption issue and said he would respond through the appropriate legal process. The controversy has also drawn attention to the position of his brother Shafay, who serves in Maryam's provincial cabinet.

Shafay had earlier said he stood by his younger brother and would not distance himself from him, adding that Salik had his own independent views.