Waheed Hussain
Maryum Nawaz a first female, who has been elected as the Chief Minister of country’s biggest province, Punjab. She is energetic, enthusiastic, passionate about politics and surely understanding the responsibility of the post.
In her recent statements she promised to bring a drastic change in the functioning of different government departments in the province. She has already issued directives to repair and construct streets and roads of various cities in Punjab.
Talking to newly elected members of the Punjab Assembly, Maryam stressed to bring a digital revolution providing numerous civic and other facilities to the people at their doorstep.
Planning to provide loans to the educated unemployed youth to start their own business and earn respectable livelihood. Making the province an economic hub. She said that her government will remove bureaucratic hurdles and red-tapism.
Maryam has plan to establish additional Danish Schools in the province. A project started by her uncle Shahbaz. Reforms in health and education is must for improving the rotten social sector. Her table is filled with the new ideas and plans let us see how she would succeed in her endeavors.
It is true that she does not have any past experience of directly dealing with the bureaucracy and civil administration. However, she has been observing and looking at the government functions both at the center and at province when her father and uncle served as chief executives of the country as well as of the province. Since 2013, Maryam Nawaz was indirectly involved in the policy and decision making at Islamabad and Lahore, as her father former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and uncle former PM and CM Punjab Shahbaz Sharif were holding power.
One must not forget that she grew up in a family where the power politics was at its best. She was just 10 or 12 years of age when her father joined the Punjab cabinet in 1982. She has been closely observing the ups and downs of her father’s political career. Apart from the family political training and environment, she learned much during her time in the prison. She along with her father was convicted in the controversial corruption cases,from which both Maryam and Nawaz have been exonerated by the higher judiciary, because, National Accountability Bureau, which has filed the cases in consequence to the Panama papers scandal’s decision of the supreme court of Pakistan has failed to provide substantial evidence to the courts. Finally, both father and the daughter got a clean cheat from the judiciary. Was it a political vendetta or victimization? Maryam faced a very tough time during Pakistan Tehreek Insaaf’s government. On the one hand she was facing the courts’ proceedings, while on the other hand she kept on addressing public meetings and rallies in her father’s absence.
Her presence in the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) provided a chance to her to interact with the various political personalities across Pakistan. No doubt, Maryam is new to the post of Chief Minister,yet, not new to the politics, bureaucracy, administration and establishment.
On the governance side she must improve the “thana culture” as Punjab police has a bad reputation protecting the criminals and powerful in the province. Will she do that? Punjab Bureaucracy is very powerful. It needs tough CM to handle. Will she do that?
Misuse of power and corruption has destroyed the country financially and economically. Will she control the corruption when her opponent PTI constantly accused her family for the same?
PTI total politics was on the corruption narrative against the Sharifs and Zardari, but failed to prove anything in the court. People in our country do not see the facts, they do not want to find truth, mostly, in the digital media world, they blindly run after the social media trends and narratives.
Its better Maryam instead of being countering the opponent’s narratives on the social media, she should focus on the good governance, public welfare and socio-economic development of the province.
she must do her best to provide relief to the masses across the political divide, even they voted for other parties. She is not the chief minister of the PML (N) only but of the entire province. Ruling the masses is a commitment and promise both to the public as well as to the Allah Almighty, and rulers are answerable to the people and one day to the Allah too.
Along with her other plans of development, Maryam Nawaz should focus on agriculture, industry, IT, health and education. Instead of issuing health cards, the funds should be invested in the existing government hospitals upgrading their emergencies, operation theaters, laboratories and infrastructure. Doctors and senior consultants who are serving in the government sector should ensure their presence in the hospitals for the needy and poor majority.
Maryam Nawaz and her family were not treated well by PTI government; however, she should not indulge in the politics of revenge and enmity. She should provide the opposition an opportunity to express themselves in free and fair manner both in and outside the assembly.
Filing FIRs or lodging cases against the opposition members only to shup their mouths will spoil her plans. Tolerance will help her to perform will and get ready for the next political and electoral match at the national level.
She must demonstrate maturity and wisdom; both are achieved through a process and experience. The good part is that her father will guide her and her uncle will provide her both human and financial resources for the province.
Chief Minister-ship is a challenge as well as an opportunity for the lady, it depends on her how she plays her innings.
Finally, the honorable CM must tolerate the media criticism on decisions and policies, because in the past most of the politicians started fighting— victimizing the journalists and media organization resulting into their own down fall. In the democratic societies there is always a space for the media and opposition. We need to change the political culture.
