Rosewater or Wastewater? PPP Leaders Blasts on Punjab Government’s Excesses on Arq-e-Gulaab (rosewater)

In a scorching political expose, a top-ranked chief of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has openly faulted the Punjab Government for what he terms “a insensible extravagance.” The scandal is all about the government’s alleged spending of Rs. 32 crore on Arq-e-Gulaab (rosewater), purportedly used to spray on roads across Punjab for perfume and dirt management.

The controversy has triggered wholesale outrage and Twitter storm, with numerous people wondering at the allocation of resources for a province faced with dilapidated infrastructure, overstretched hospitals, and a beleaguered education system.

A Question of Priorities: Scents vs Services

PPP leader Syed Hassan Murtaza went to the media and social forums, criticizing the Punjab government for what he called a “royal fantasy” in the midst of actual public hardships. “This is no longer a Mughal court; it is 2025. People need smooth water to drink, not scented roads,” Murtaza pointed out, bringing attention to the severe water crisis and city sanitation issues across the province.

The Punjab Government, though, came to the defense of the move, citing that the rosewater was once utilized for public health purposes, saying that it aids in keeping dirt at bay and helping keep the place clean. However, most critics find that such huge investments in a cosmetic step have no scientific support and smells more of theatrics than prudent governing.

Citizens React: “Is This What We Pay Taxes For?”

When the news went viral, citizens vented onto social media platforms in shock and anger. Hashtags such as #ArqeGulaabScandal and #PunjabPriorities began trending, with clients taunting the government for practicing “perfumed politics” while basic civic gestures remain ignored.

This scandal has added gasoline to the previously annoying political environment in Punjab. At the time when regular elections are near, the Punjab Government Arq-e-Gulaab Controversy should prove to be a watershed, compelling citizens to re-evaluate management tastes purely on financial responsibility and public interest.

Whether or not this was once a well-meaning environmental scan or flagrant wastage of public money, one thing is certain the people of Punjab are now pesky answers.

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