Maryam needs space for leadership role: Abbasi

By News Desk
February 04, 2023

ISLAMABAD: Finally pulling the curtain on the reason behind his unexpected resignation from the key party post, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said that Maryam Nawaz has assumed a leadership role and needs her space.

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Abbasi, the former prime minister, decided to step down after Maryam was elevated as the party’s senior vice-president and chief organiser by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is also the PML-N president. During an interaction with journalists in Islamabad on Friday, Abbasi clarified: “I have resigned from my post but I stand by the party and will always be a part of it.”

The PML-N senior leader said, “She [Maryam] needs space, if we are there, there would be disagreements which is not suitable for anyone.” He added that when the new generation comes, old people have to enter a new role. PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s spokesperson Mohammad Zubair on Wednesday said, “He [Abbasi] is a big leader and quitting the post will have no effect on him.”Zubair, the former Sindh governor, had said that he didn’t want to “wash dirty laundry” in the public. “He is a very senior leader and a former prime minister. The party needs his experience.”

On February 1, Abbasi said that it was not appropriate for him to share the same party rank in the PML-N after Maryam was elevated to the post of senior vice-president and chief organiser.”I don’t have any objections [to Maryam’s appointment]. It’s the party’s and its president’s discretion. I don’t have any reservations,” Abbasi had said while speaking on Geo News’ programme “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath”.

Hitting back at critics, Abbasi had said whether “people like it or not dynastic politics does not disqualify anyone”. “We should leave it to the people.”In response to a question, Abbasi had said that a person should have faith in the party’s leadership, but insisted that “if a consultative process takes place, it would be better”.Not taking credit away from Maryam’s hard work, the former premier also said that the PML-N vice-president had made a space for herself within the voters’ and people’s hearts.

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