Maryam Nawaz becomes Pakistan's first woman chief minister

Islamabad, Feb 26 (IANS) – Maryam Nawaz, representing PML-N, was elected as the first female Chief Minister of Punjab and Pakistan amid boycotts and delays in the Punjab Assembly on Monday. Maryam secured 220 votes against Rana Aftab Ahmed Khan of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).

During her victory speech, Maryam expressed her disappointment over the opposition’s boycott and emphasized the importance of their participation in the democratic process. She also thanked the opposition for the struggles she endured.

Initially, the SIC nominated Mian Aslam Iqbal for the Chief Minister position but later replaced him with Aftab from Faisalabad. The Assembly session started almost two hours later than scheduled due to alleged entry restrictions for SIC lawmakers.

Maryam, alongside her father Nawaz Sharif and uncle Shehbaz Sharif, took oath as the Chief Minister. She highlighted the significance of being a woman in power and pledged to work towards the provision of employment, education, and healthcare, setting up a Ramazan relief package and essential marketplaces.

She also vowed to transform Punjab into an economic hub, create public-private partnerships, provide free medicines in government hospitals, build state-of-the-art hospitals, introduce Punjab’s first air ambulance, establish a dedicated helpline for women, and ensure zero tolerance for police high-handedness.