Not interested in PM, CM slots: Maryam

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz on Sunday said that she is not interested in becoming the prime minister or the chief minister after the upcoming general elections in the country.

During an informal interaction with journalists, she categorically said, “My focus is not on the slot of prime minister or chief minister.”

The PMLN stalwart also said for now, Junaid — her son — had also no intention of joining politics. “Junaid has to take the responsibility for his home first,” she said on a lighter note.

Junaid Safdar, a Cambridge graduate, has two Master’s and two Bachelor’s degrees from UK universities. A polo enthusiast got married in London in August 2021 and celebrated a grand valima ceremony in December in Lahore. She said that the nation is enduring the consequences of the incompetence of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) ineligible government led by Imran Khan.

Talking to newspersons, she thanked the media for extending exemplary support in the most difficult period.

She said Imran Khan’s wrong policies were responsible for the current economic woes of the people, adding that the people know who was responsible for the current problems, inflation and economic crisis.

She claimed that Imran Khan was still being “facilitated”.

She said that the PTI did nothing for the people and the country, during their four years of rule as all their attention was on holding meetings of the spokespersons.

She said the government was doing its utmost to drive the country out of the crisis as the Shehbaz government can’t turn a blind eye to inflation.

She said, “She can’t deny that there is no inflation, and because of the IMF, we cannot give any relief to the people.”

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s focus was to ensure good governance, getting the country and the nation out of the quagmire of problems.

She said PMLN believes in performance as the foundation, identity and real strength of the party is the delivery of services.

Highlighting the main reason for a weakened position on social media, she said PMLN is a party working in the practical field.

Moreover, she added, PMLN’’s social media is being handled on a voluntary basis, and now the volunteers are being organised at the primary level.

“Our volunteers are so efficient that ‘Papa Johns’ has to launch a crackdown on the PMLN.

“She said the PTI government had recruited keyboard warriors with hundreds of rupees at government expense.

PMLN is developing its own IT wing and Senator Dr Afnanullah is working on it, she added.

About former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, she said he was contacted on the last day as well, and he was not angry.

He (Shahid Khaqan) has been working with Nawaz Sharif for the last thirty years, and “if Shahid Khaqan encourages me, it will be a great thing,” she added.

Meanwhile, chairing an organisational meeting of the PMLN Women Wing, she said she informed Nawaz Sharif about the rousing welcome she received upon returning home from London.“The response exceeded my expectations,” Maryam said. she was deeply impressed by the sentiments of party workers in Bahawalpur, Multan and Abbottabad.

The spirit of the organisational convention in Islamabad was exemplary and spectacular as youth, women and elders were present in large numbers, she added.

The entire programme of the organisational convention was organised by Muhammad Nawaz Sharif himself.

The meeting discussed the organisational affairs of the women’s department in detail.

Fateha for the departed soul of Begum Najma Hameed was also offered.

Paying glowing tribute to Begum Najma Hameed, Maryam said the deceased was the precious asset of the party.

Najma managed the party’s women's wing very well and she was the mother of workers.

Maryam said women wrote a new history of courage in the difficult times of Pakistan, democracy and party, and played a vital role in the country’s politics right from Mather-e-Millat Fatima Jinnah to Begum Kalsoom Nawaz Sharif.

Appreciating the sincerity of women workers, she said the PMLN’’s women wing endured the fascism of PTI in the last four years with exemplary courage, sacrifice and bravery.

The PMLN chief organiser vowed to make the party’s organisational structure more effective by implementing suggestions and recommendations of women workers.