Maryam 6th member of Sharif family making electoral debut from Lahore

LAHORE:Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of PMLN supermo Nawaz Sharif has become the sixth member of her family who has made electoral debut from Lahore.

Maryam Nawaz has been fielded from NA-119 and a Provincial Assembly seat of Lahore and she is the second woman of her family contesting elections for the Lower House of Parliament.

All five previous members of Sharif family, including three sons of late Mian Sharif, Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif and Abbas Sharif got elected MNA on the soil of Lahore in their debut elections. Hamza Shehbaz, the son of PMLN President Shehbaz Sharif and Begum Kalsoom Nawaz, wife of Nawaz Sharif and mother of Maryam Nawaz also won her first election from Lahore. Hamza Shehbaz is the only scion of Sharif family who got elected unopposed from then NA-119 in 2008 by-polls as PPP withdrew its candidate against him. The seat had a by-poll due to the death of a contesting candidate Tariq Banday.

Amongst the close and distant relatives of Sharif family, figures like Ishaq Dar, Suhail Zia Butt, Umar Suhail Zia Butt, Bilal Yasin and Mohsin Latif got elected from Lahore. The first member of Sharif family who made his electoral debut from Lahore was Nawaz Sharif who got elected MNA and MPA in his very first election in 1985. He retained the Provincial Assembly seat and became the chief minister of Punjab, an office that he held for two terms, until he became Prime Minister in 1990. Nawaz had won all the times he contested from Lahore, including 1985, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1997 and 2013. Shehbaz Sharif became the second member of Sharif family who made his electoral debut from Lahore, contested from PP-122 in 1988 and became MPA. In 1990, he contested from two seats, NA-96 and PP-124 and won both. He continued his winning streak on both seats on the soil of Lahore in the next general elections held in 1993, 1997, 2013 and 2018.

Abbas Sharif, the third son of Mian Sharif and younger brother of Nawaz Sharif also made his electoral debut from Lahore in 1993 by-polls. Abbas Sharif was fielded from NA-92, Lahore 1, the seat vacated by Nawaz Sharif and after a tough contest against PPP's Aziz-ur-Rehman Chan, he won. This was the only election he contested. Hamza Shehbaz, another member of Sharif family who made his electoral debut from Lahore became MNA in 2008 by-polls and won in 2013 and 2018 elections as well. In the year 2017, when then NA-120 seat got vacated after the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif, his wife Kalsoom Nawaz was fielded and she won the seat. Kalsoom Nawaz was under-treatment and could not participate in the campaign which was run by her daughter Maryam Nawaz and party supporters.

For the 2024 general elections, Maryam Nawaz, the PMLN Vice-President and daughter of Nawaz Sharif and Kalsoom Nawaz has been fielded from NA-119 and PP-159. Like her father's debut election of 1985, she is contesting on both seats. Amongst the very close relatives of Sharif family, first to make electoral debut from Lahore was Ishaq Dar who contested and won in 1993 by-polls from then NA-95, a seat vacated by Nawaz. Suhail Zia Butt, a relative of Sharif family got elected as MPA in 1990 general elections whereas his son Omar Suhail Zia Butt became MNA on PMLN ticket in 2008. Mohsin Latif, the nephew of Kalsoom Nawaz was another member related to Sharif family who made his electoral debut from Lahore in 2008 and got elected as MPA and later won in 2013. However, he lost the 2015 by-polls. Bilal Yasin, who is also related to Sharif family became MPA in 2002, MNA in 2008 and served as Provincial Minister. He won for more than two terms in Lahore. Former wrestler Nasir Bholu, who is also linked with the family of Kalsoom Nawaz contested in 1985 but remained unsuccessful.