Maryam Nawaz unveils plans for Punjab as Pakistan’s first woman CM

LAHORE: PML-N senior vice-president Maryam Nawaz, who is set to become Pakistan’s first-ever woman chief minister (CM), vowed to set ‘new records’ in Punjab while fulfilling her duties as the provincial chief executive, ARY News reported on Wednesday.  

Maryam Nawaz, the political scion of PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif, was nominated as the party’s candidate for the coveted position of the chief minister of the country’s most populous province, Punjab.

Addressing PML-N’s first parliamentary party meeting in Punjab, the CM nominee said there is a “clear majority” of the party in the provincial assembly as she congratulated the MPAs on their successful election and praised the inclusion of young MPAs among the lot.

From today, Maryam said, a “new era” will begin for Punjab, as per the traditions and examples laid down by Nawaz Sharif and party president Shehbaz Sharif during their terms as chief ministers. “We will set new records of development in the province,” she added.

She also stressed the ‘historic significance’ of her nomination as first woman chief minister in Pakistan’s history. “I extend this honor to every mother, sister, daughter, and girl child of Pakistan,” she said, underscoring her commitment to inclusive governance and empowerment.

Sharing her plans for governance, the PML-N leader said that the party has devised a roadmap of priorities at the government level.

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“A comprehensive programme will be launched for rural areas of Punjab,” she said, noting that health, education, infrastructure, law and order, agriculture, information technology and all other sectors will have equal focus.

Maryam Nawaz noted that her government would work on “Safe Punjab” project, vowing to expand the “Safe City’ project to all cities of the province. She also stressed the need to improve the police station system.

Citing examples of India and Bangladesh, she emphasised on introducing digitalisation across the province but regretted that there was only one information technology (IT) city in Pakistan. “We will try to establish five IT cities in her five-year tenure”, she vowed.