LAHORE: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari Friday met newly elected Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in Lahore and congratulated the latter on assuming office.

During the meeting, the leaders also discussed their parties’ joint strategy for the presidential elections tomorrow.

Bilawal urged lawmakers from the Punjab Assembly to vote for Asif Ali Zardari in the presidential elections. “I can assure you that he will take care of you just like he takes care of me,” the former foreign minister said.

Bilawal stated that Zardari always tried to meet members of all political parties the way he met PPP leaders.

Bilawal hailed Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif for assuming office as the first female provincial chief executive in Pakistan.

Addressing a PPP-PML-N parliamentary party meeting in Lahore, Bilawal said: “Your election [as the CM] is a message for Pakistan and Punjab. All the women are looking towards you as an example.”

The former foreign minister also praised CM Maryam’s decision to announce a Ramazan package for the poor segments of the society.

“The Ramazan package announced also gives out a message that you want to help the poor class of the society who are in the majority. But when we come to the assembly and form a government, we never become representatives of the poor. We should always first aim to solve their problems,” Bilawal said.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam said that the public wanted politicians to work for them instead of fighting amongst each other.

Addressing MPAs, she said: “The poor are looking towards us. What will they say if these people see us fighting and not doing anything for them?”

CM Maryam said all serious-minded political parties except one whom Bilawal termed as “cartoons” want to take the country out of crisis. “The problems are so serious and intense that no party can solve them alone.”