Maryam Nawaz, daughter of three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, is set to create history as the first woman Chief Minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province, following the summoning of the inaugural session of the provincial legislature on Friday, according to news agency PTI.
The Punjab Assembly, the first among the five assemblies in Pakistan that went to the polls on February 8, is convening its opening session.
“Punjab Governor Balighur Rahman has called the Punjab Assembly session for Friday, where newly elected members will be sworn in, and the formation of the new government will commence,” a spokesperson for the Governor’s House stated on Thursday, as reported by PTI.
Maryam, 50, also holds the position of Senior Vice President of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party. Regarded as the political heir of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, she was nominated as the chief ministerial candidate of the party in Punjab, a province with over 120 million people.
The PML-N secured 137 seats, while independents supported by former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won 113 in the Punjab Assembly. Approximately 20 independents, not PTI-backed, have already aligned with the PML-N.
Independent candidates supported by PTI have joined the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) to secure reserved seats for women and minorities, as well as to prevent them from changing allegiance under pressure from the military establishment.
However, the SIC may not obtain reserved seats for women and minorities, leaving the PML-N with a simple majority in Punjab.
“The Election Commission of Pakistan is expected to notify the allocation of reserved seats in the Provincial Assembly on Thursday. The SIC is unlikely to receive its share amid legal questions, as its leader did not contest on his party ticket, and the deadline to submit a list of candidates for reserved seats has passed,” reported Press Trust of India, citing an official source.
Outgoing Speaker of the Punjab Assembly, Sibtain Khan, noted that since the PTI-backed MPAs-elect have joined the SIC, the party should be allocated reserved seats. “A constitutional crisis will follow if the reserved seats of SIC/PTI are given to other parties,” warned the speaker.
Meanwhile, Maryam has already received security typically provided to the chief minister and is holding meetings with the top bureaucracy of the province.