Maryam Nawaz says she is not interested in becoming PM or CM after the upcoming general elections in country

ISLAMABAD, Feb 12 (SABAH): Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice-President and Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz Sharif has clarified 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 on Sunday, Maryam Nawaz categorically said, “My focus is not on the slot of prime minister or chief minister.”

The PML-N 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.

Maryam Nawaz said that the foundation, identity and power of her party was “performance”. Responding to a question about people’s response, the PML-N leader said she was surprised to see the enthusiasm and numbers of the people who welcomed her upon her return to the homeland. She was in London since October 2022 and spent time with her father and party supremo Nawaz Sharif before coming back to Pakistan in the last week of January. “The response was beyond my expectation,” she added.

Without naming former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, Maryam Nawaz said that the people knew who brought inflation and took the country’s economy to the brink of disaster.

“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s focus is on good governance.” At the same time, she said the coalition government could not turn a blind eye to rising inflation.

Responding to a question, she said that PML-N would hold public rallies near the upcoming elections. “The entire programme of the Tanzeemi (organising) Convention was arranged by Nawaz Sharif himself.”

Speaking on the occasion, Maryam Nawaz said that the PML-N’s social media wing was working on a voluntary basis. “We find it difficult to repeat even true accusation,” she added.

The PTI, she said, recruited keyboard warriors on the government’s expenditure. She added that their competition was with very rude people.

Maryam Nawaz also announced that her “party is setting up its own IT wing” to counter the propaganda of their opponents.

Maryam Nawaz admitted there was no chance of immediate relief  to the masses. Maryam Nawaz said that although the country was facing difficult times, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was making all-out efforts to take the country out of the quagmire.

Talking about her new role in the PML-N, Maryam Nawaz said, “PML-N supremo and PM Shehbaz Sharif has handed over the responsibility to me ahead of my surgery.”

Maryam Nawaz said she was not aware of the overwhelming response from the masses on her arrival at the airport. “I told Nawaz Sharif that people gave me responses beyond my expectations.” She admitted that party matters were impacted by the absence of the PML-N supremo in the country.