Maryam Nawaz returns to Pakistan to lead party

Senior Vice-president of the Pakistan Muslim League-nawaz (PML-N) Maryam Nawaz returned to Pakistan on Saturday to strengthen her party ahead of the crucial assembly elections, nearly four months after she flew to London to meet her father and former premier Nawaz Sharif.

Maryam, who has been appointed as the party's chief organiser, landed at Lahore's Allama Iqbal International Airport after a one-hour delay in her flight due to a medical emergency on the plane.

“Long live Pakistan,” she tweeted after her return to Pakistan.

Maryam left Pakistan for London in October last year after she was acquitted in a corruption case. At the time, she had said she was “eager” to see her father Nawaz, whom she hadn't met since 2019.

The 49-year-old leader, on her return to Pakistan, told Geo News that she would utilise all her energy to strengthen the party. Earlier, party spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said that Maryam was returning to begin the “reorganisation of the party”.

Maryam is likely to have a more significant role in the political happenings in the country after her appointment as the PML-N'S chief organiser earlier this month.

PML-N supremo Nawaz has authorised Maryam, along with Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, to lead rallies and hold meetings ahead of the upcoming elections in Punjab.

Her elevation in the party is a clear message from Nawaz to the camp led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that she, and not the incumbent premier, would succeed him, a PML-N leader from Punjab told newspaper.

“Eventually, Maryam will head the party as this is the wish of the supreme leader of PML-N. The new positions, especially that of chief organiser, have already empowered her to run the affairs of the party according to her wishes.

“The influence of Shehbaz Sharif and his son, Hamza Shehbaz, in party matters will diminish in the days to come. She will be the ultimate ‘boss' in the party,” the report quoted him as saying.

Maryam is also said to be keen on taking over the party's affairs in Punjab, especially after it faced a humiliating defeat in the by-polls last year at the hands of rival Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-insaf party. — agencies

Maryam will eventually head the party as this is the wish of the supreme leader of the PML-N. The new positions have already empowered her to run the party according to her wishes.” A PML-N leader