LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, inspecting a passing-out parade of lady constables and traffic assistants at Police Training College, Chung, in a police uniform evinced criticism as well as appreciation from the relevant quarters here on Thursday.
She inspected the parade atop a jeep amid inspiring tunes of the police band. In her address, she expressed happiness over the 650 women who became part of the Punjab Police on Thursday. She said that she “feels happy when she sees women police officers holding arms and performing their duties during different public rallies she attends”.
She said when the inspector general of police (IGP), Punjab, invited her to the passing-out parade, she eagerly waited to attend the parade. “When I saw the female police officers today, I realised that they would have taken their training seriously,” CM Maryam said.
About the police uniform she wore, the CM said when she donned the uniform, she realised that how big a responsibility it was.
In her address, Maryam also spoke about the challenges she had to face in the political journey that led her to become the chief executive of the province. “I had to wade through a river of fire to reach where I am today. The times that trained me have made it impossible for anyone to say that I have been appointed as the chief minister only for being the daughter of Nawaz Sharif,” Maryam Nawaz said, adding that first she proved her mettle and then she was chosen as the CM.
Maryam, who is the first female chief minister of any province in the country, urged parents to trust their daughters. She also told the new officers to take “cruelty” to its logical end.
She said, “I have directed the IGP Punjab to increase the number of lady police officers, as 7,000 women police officers are not enough.” She added, “Time will come when the number of lady police will surpass 50pc of police’s total strength.”
CM Maryam is not the first chief minister of Punjab who has donned a police uniform on such an occasion. A picture shared by the PMLN on X, formerly Twitter, showed that Maryam’s father, Nawaz Sharif, also wore a police uniform on such an occasion during the time when was the provincial chief executive.
Maryam also interacted with the police officers at the parade after the speech and many officers gathered around her post-parade. Eight squads of lady police constables and traffic assistants marched past and saluted the CM, who appreciated and awarded the band staff.
Commandant Police Training College DIG Mehboob Aslam presented the vote of thanks. However, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub Khan, criticised Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz for wearing the police uniform to inspect the passing-out parade. He said he wondered what was going on in the country. Terming Maryam donning a police uniform a non-serious act, he said the country was being made a laughing stock through such childish acts.
On the other hand, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari said the ‘enemies’ were jealous as Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz was becoming a favourite of all government officers. She said the ‘Fitna Party’ was propagating about Bushra Bibi’s health as per its tradition. She said when they did not have anything, they come up with the ‘victimisation card’ to get the public sympathies. The people of Pakistan have seen PTI’s obnoxious face on May 9, the minister added.
Online adds: Separately, a petition was filed in a court of law for registration of a case against Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for wearing a police uniform. The petition was filed in sessions court Lahore through Aftab Bajwa Advocate.
The petitioner took the plea that Maryam Nawaz wore the police uniform while no irrelevant person could do so as per law. An application was given to the police against Maryam Nawaz but no action was taken, said the petition. The court was requested to issue orders for registration of a case against Maryam Nawaz.
