LAHORE: Despite opposition boycott, Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of three-time former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has been elected as the chief minister of Punjab, becoming the country’s first woman to hold the post.
Maryam’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and its allies secured 220 votes in the 371-member Punjab Assembly during the election boycotted by the opposition Sunni Ittehad Council party, which is backed by Pakistan Tehreek-e- Insaf.
Maryam obtained 220 votes while her opponent, Sunni Ittehad Council Candidate (SIC) candidate Rana Aftab Ahmad, received zero votes as the party boycotted the elections after being denied the opportunity to speak.
“The votes have been counted. Maryam has obtained 220 votes and SIC candidate Rana Aftab Ahmad secured zero votes,” said Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan while presiding over the session.
In her inaugural speech at the Punjab Assembly, Maryam outlined her vision for the next five years, emphasizing her commitment to initiating work immediately. She pledged to introduce reforms to steer the economy in the right direction, aiming to transform Punjab into an economic hub by empowering businessmen and streamlining the process of establishing and operating businesses through a one-window solution. Additionally, she vowed to digitalize the province, reduce paperwork, and enhance public convenience.
“I aim to establish at least five IT cities during my tenure,” she declared, expressing her intention to attract tech giants to Punjab. Maryam also announced plans to pilot free wifi across Lahore and emphasized her administration’s zero-tolerance policy towards corruption. Regarding the upcoming month of Ramadan, Maryam promised to establish Ramadan Sasta Bazaars across the province to alleviate the burden of inflation on the people, ensuring regulatory mechanisms to prevent price gouging.
To improve the education sector, Maryam pledged to update the curriculum according to modern needs and enhance schools through public-private partnerships. She also committed to bolstering the healthcare system by building major hospitals equipped with facilities for cancer and kidney treatment in each district, along with providing free medicines in public hospitals. Additionally, she announced plans to launch Punjab’s first air ambulance service within the first 12 weeks of her tenure.
Maryam stressed her commitment to reintroducing Nawaz Sharif’s health card program effectively across the province and addressing issues of harassment by establishing an exclusive helpline for women. She advocated for gender equality, proposing equal access to loans for women and plans to establish day-care centres at workplaces.
Furthermore, Maryam vowed to safeguard the rights of marginalized and minority communities and announced an investigation into the Taxila incident. She also proposed a scheme to provide solar panels to consumers with a monthly usage of 300 or fewer units, payable in installments.
Addressing her five-year plan, Maryam assured to prioritize the health and life insurance of media workers and their families. She began her speech by congratulating the newly-elected speaker and deputy speaker and expressed her desire for opposition participation in the democratic process.
“I extend my gratitude to my party lawmakers, allied parties Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and Istehkam-e-Pakistan (IPP) members for their support,” she remarked, highlighting the significance of a woman being elected as the CM and expressing hopes for more women leaders in the future. Maryam competed against Rana Aftab for the CM position, who was selected by the PTI after its initial nominee, Mian Aslam Iqbal, faced threats of arrest.
Following the boycott by Sunni Ittehad Council members, the speaker formed a committee to persuade them to return to the assembly, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Consequently, the proceedings continued, and the process of electing a new leader of the House commenced.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024