Maryam Nawaz, the nominee of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, has secured the position of the first female Chief Minister of Punjab province, despite the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) opting to boycott the proceedings.
Commencing at 11:30 am, the session was chaired by the recently elected Punjab Assembly Speaker, Malik Ahmad Khan. The Punjab Assembly proceedings experienced turbulence as members of the opposition Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) opted to boycott the session.
Punjab’s political landscape is set for a historic shift as the Provincial Assembly gears up to elect a new chief minister today. Maryam Nawaz, the Senior Vice President of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), stands as the frontrunner, backed by her party’s majority in the assembly following the February 8 general elections.
If successful, Maryam Nawaz will make history as the first female chief minister in Pakistan. The assembly session, scheduled to commence at 11 am, is awaited, with Malik Ahmad Khan presiding as the newly-elected Punjab Assembly Speaker.
The PML-N currently enjoys support from 224 MPAs in the provincial assembly. Maryam’s opponent, Aftab Ahmad Khan of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader, has the backing of 103 MPAs. To secure the CM’s position, a candidate needs the support of a majority, which translates to 187 members in the 327-seat house.
Maryam Nawaz, if successful, will not only be the first female chief minister but also the fourth member of the Sharif family to rule Punjab. Previously elected on two seats in Lahore, she is the sixth member of the Sharif family to secure victory in a general or by-election.
As the political landscape undergoes this significant change, the PML-N is already in the process of finalizing Maryam’s cabinet. The formation will be done in phases, including ministers from allied parties. In the initial phase, names like Marriyum Aurangzeb, Azma Bokhari, and Tahir Sindhu from PML-N, along with representatives from PPP, PML-Q, and the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party, are under discussion.
The political transition in Punjab marks a pivotal moment, both in terms of leadership and the composition of the provincial cabinet, reflecting the evolving political dynamics in the region.
