I’m Shehbaz Sharif’s extension in Punjab: Maryam

LONDON: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has said she considers herself an extension of Shehbaz Sharif, her uncle and prime minister, in relation to the development of Punjab.

Speaking to media here on Friday, she said: “I am trained by him, I am trying to follow in his footsteps. He is my mentor and I am learning from the very best. People had apprehensions about a female chief minister since there has been no female chief minister before me, in Punjab or the whole of Pakistan. The people of Punjab have poured love on me, I never thought that I would get so much affection and acknowledgment. I have faced no hurdles. We work as a unit, as a team, for the development of Punjab.”

She said that after India’s defeat, the world was now viewing Pakistan with a changed attitude. After India’s attack, the manner in which Pakistan responded was due to the leadership of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir and the entire army, who deserved full credit for the victory. Asim Munir provided a remarkable leadership, and that the whole world is now listening to Pakistan.

Maryam Nawaz praised the work of the Crime Control Department (CCD) Punjab in cleaning the province of crimes and lawlessness. She highlighted her government’s welfare initiatives, citing the Kissan Card and free doorstep medicine delivery as evidence of Punjab’s commitment to progress and prosperity. “For the first time in Punjab’s history, three million people have received pay orders worth Rs10,000 each at their doorstep, and 1.5 million individuals benefited from Rs3,000 monthly each through ration cards,” she stated.

Maryam left on Friday afternoon for Brazil to attend the COP30 climate summit. At the summit, she will present Punjab’s flagship projects, including Clean Punjab and e-mobility initiatives, and discuss climate-resilient regional leadership. She is scheduled to meet key figures such as the vice president of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the World Bank’s global director of Climate Change, and officials from the United Nations Development Programme.