Will Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan's first woman CM be a rising force in the nation's politics? (WATCH)
In a groundbreaking move, Maryam Nawaz, daughter of Nawaz Sharif, assumes the position as Punjab Province's first-ever female Chief Minister in Pakistan. Her historic appointment marks a significant milestone for gender inclusivity in the region's political landscape.
FollowPMLN's Maryam Nawaz was elected as the chief minister of the Punjab province after an assembly vote on Monday. Maryam became the first woman chief minister of the Punjab province forging a new pathway for the gender minority in the political arena of the South Asian nation.
Maryam Nawaz gathered 220 votes in the 371-member Punjab Assembly for the election of chief minister. The assembly vote was boycotted by Imran Khan's PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council party. The opposition claimed foul play and decided to walk out in protest of Maryam Nawaz and her party.
The 50-year-old woman successfully defeated Rana Aftab to gain control of Pakistan’s largest and most influential province. Punjab province is considered as a bastion for PMLN as four sharifs have now become the Chief Minister from the family. Nawaz Sharif became the CM in 1985, Shahbaz Sharif in 1997, Hamza Shahbaz in 2022, and now Maryam Nawaz.
Maryam Nawaz came to the limelight in politics after her father Nawaz Sharif was elected as the PM in 2013. Since then she has worked her way through to the position of Vice President of the PMLN party beating even brother Hamza Shahbaz. The latest feather in Maryam’s political cap is the Punjab province.
However, the largely politically divided assembly with accusations of election fraud on PMLN will prove to be a primary challenge for the 50-year-old. With the lack of a young prominent face in Pakistan’s politics, Maryam Nawaz has a clear path towards the decorated PM chair. However, the ride will not be easy as she'll have to first cross the Punjab challenge and forge her own identity by angering and crossing many old Punjabi men in the political fora.
