Mandi Bahauddin, 27 October 2026 (Nosheen): Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has advocated a strong response to assault incidents across the province, saying she had advised victims to respond to such attacks in kind. Addressing an Honhaar Scholarship and Laptop Distribution Ceremony at a university in Mandi Bahauddin on Tuesday, the chief minister vowed that offenders would not be spared, even if they belonged to her own political party. She also criticised governance based on fear, stating that ruling through intimidation was not good governance and emphasising the need to maintain consistent principles. Referring to a fatal incident in Multan in which a man ran over an orphaned teenager, Maryam Nawaz said the tragedy continued to haunt her. She also highlighted cases involving violence against a female scooter rider in Lahore and an assault on a petrol pump employee in Jubilee Town. In the Lahore incident, video footage showed a motorcyclist overtaking a female scooter rider, blocking her path and allegedly subjecting her to a violent assault. Police arrested the suspect with the help of footage and data obtained from dozens of cameras operated by the Punjab Safe Cities Authority. However, a Lahore court ordered his release if he was not required in any other case. In the second incident, a man allegedly assaulted a petrol pump employee after being asked not to smoke on the premises while refuelling his vehicle. The suspect reportedly got out of his SUV, beat the employee and fled the scene. The chief minister reiterated that her provincial government stood firmly with the oppressed and vulnerable, adding that she was not concerned about which cases might be registered against her in the future. She stressed that accountability should apply to everyone, regardless of political affiliation.