Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz nominee Maryam Nawaz has achieved a historic milestone by being elected as Punjab's first female chief minister.

In the election, she secured 220 votes, defeating her rival Rana Aftab Ahmad from the Sunni Ittehad Council, who received no votes due to a boycott by SIC members.

During the Punjab Assembly session chaired by the newly-elected Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan, opposition members from the Sunni Ittehad Council abstained from participating in the proceedings. Speaker Khan announced that only the election for the chief minister would occur, and legislators were prohibited from speaking during the session, as reported by ARY News.

In response to the boycott, Speaker Khan assembled a committee comprising Khawaja Salman Rafique, Salman Nazeer, Samiullah, and Khalil Tahir Sindhu to encourage the boycotting legislators to return to the Assembly.

Maryam Nawaz competed against Rana Aftab Ahmed of the Sunni Ittehad Council for the chief minister position. Despite facing competition from various candidates fielded by the PML-N, Maryam Nawaz secured a clear majority in the house, ensuring her victory.

Earlier, the oath-taking ceremony for Punjab Assembly members took place, with 321 out of 371 members swearing their oaths.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz strengthened its position in the Punjab Assembly by winning both the speaker and deputy speaker elections. Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan secured the position of Punjab Assembly Speaker with 224 votes, according to reports from ARY News. Meanwhile, Malik Zaheer Ahmed Channer, the PML-N's candidate for deputy speaker, emerged victorious with 220 votes, defeating Mohammad Moinuddin from the Sunni Ittehad Council.

Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, was actively engaged in her family's philanthropic endeavours before embarking on her political journey. She tied the knot with Safdar Awan in 1992, who was then serving as a Captain in the Pakistan Army and acted as Nawaz Sharif's security officer during his premiership. Together, Maryam Nawaz and Safdar Awan have three children.

In 2012, Maryam Nawaz made her foray into politics and assumed responsibility for leading the election campaign during the 2013 general elections. Following the elections, she was appointed as the Chairperson of the Prime Minister's Youth Programme in 2013. However, her appointment faced challenges, leading to her resignation in 2014.

During the 2024 Pakistani general election, Maryam Nawaz secured seats in both the National Assembly of Pakistan and the Provincial Assembly of Punjab, marking her debut in parliamentary politics.

Image source: ABP News