IS MARYAM LIVING UP TO BIG DECLERATIONS SHE MADE DURING HER MAIDEN SPEECH???

 "MARYAM NAWAZ THE NEW CM OF PUNJAB...WHAT HAS SHE DONE SO FAR"

INTRODUCTIOPN:

    Maryam Nawaz is the talk of every news bulletin, every second article published by Dawn, and every headline since her nomination. She has been part of the news bulletin for quite some time, but her nomination as CM of Punjab marked a milestone in not only her political career but also in the history of Pakistan. She has, with her formidable contributions to the party, marked a prominent existence in the PMLN.

FAMILY HERITAGE:

    

    (TV, 2016)

        Maryam descends from a strong political lineage; with her father, uncle, and husband all belonging to political parties, she too developed a keen interest in politics. This family heritage, while bringing her a lot of success in the political field, also subjected her to wide criticism, as many called her political progress a cause of nepotism. On her nomination as CM, many articles appeared under the similar key words of 'nepotism' 'successor' 'favoritism' and etc.

POLITICAL CAREER:

• Maryam Nawaz made her first appearance on television screens during Gen. Pervez Musharraf's regime when he implemented 'coup d'etat (a military overtake but one without any bloodshed). Pervez, after taking over the democratic government, exiled Nawaz from the country and placed the women of the Nawaz family in house arrest. Maryam was interviewed on the BBC with an appeal for Pakistani citizens to support their leader, Nawaz.
• Maryam then appeared on the TV screen as the face of the "Punjab Women Empowerment Package," along with other PMLN leaders. This duration marked her political debut, and she got a lot of acceptance for her motivational and emotionally engaging speeches.
• After this time, Maryam was seen actively engaging in party dealings on social media; she later became the social media manager of PMLN. Her consistent efforts to bring limelight to her party not only made her vital for her party but also marked her position as one of the 11 most powerful women in the New York Times ranking in 2017.
• Her political career skyrocketed in 2019, when PTI overthrew PMLN in the 2019 general elections and Nawaz went into self-exile in the UK. With her father's gown, she assumed the role of party vice president and became involved in the party at a more physical level, leading processions, making negotiations, and running Champaigns.
• In 2023, she moved a step ahead in her political career as she took on the position of senior vice president and was tasked with making the necessary reconstruction and reorganization of the party.
• And finally came the time for the Punjab assembly elections, which she nailed by winning with 220 seats, making history by becoming the first female Chief Minister in Pakistan as she earned the title of "Iron Lady".

MAIDEN SPEECH, February 26, 2024:

(Dunya News, 2024)

    Maryam delivered a memorable official speech as CM of Punjab on February 26, 2024. She started off with an emotional hook by dedicating her success to her late mother, Kulsoom Nawaz. Her speech was a collection of future visions: progressive Pakistan, women's empowerment, effective government, employment, educational and economic progress, and so on. But what earned her wide praise was her declaration, "I am the CM of all". She further stated that she would serve not only those who voted for her but also those who didn't. She will keep her doors open for any opposition. She further made some big declarations on launching free Wi-Fi for the Lahore project, establishing IT education and training centers, making available foreign education for students, and the distribution of laptops, iPads, bikes, etc. She further talked about free "Rashan" for deserving people and Ramazan packages to compensate for the economic burden on people. All in all, she was very much praised for her bold, captivating, emotional, and heart-touching speech, while many went on to call it nothing but pure deceit, a publicity stunt.

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE SO FAR:

(Microsoft, 2008)

    Many people are curious about whether Maryam has done anything she promised to do. Her actions and speeches are constantly under public scrutiny. You don't have to worry; here is an account of what she has achieved so far.

• Maryam met with an American council advocate in Pakistan to discuss increased opportunities for Pakistani students to study abroad as well as the added benefits of studying there.
• She met with the Canadian High Commissioner to Pakistan to discuss revenues, which can strengthen the economic relations between Canada and Pakistan and hence serve as a way to boost Pakistan's economy.
• Maryam visited government schools to access their conditions. She talked with teachers, students, and staff members and diligently listened to their complaints and suggestions. Maryam was also seen fixing the head scarf of a female police officer, which earned her a lot of credit points.
• Maryam met with a delegation from Pakistan's Broadcasting Association to improve the opportunities for electronic media in Punjab.
• Her most-awaited project, free Wi-Fi for Lahore's pilot project, has been approved by PM Shahbaz Sharif. She put extra emphasis on this project, as she believes it is in need of time.
• During a meeting on IT City and Knowledge Park, she disclosed that she had major Chinese and US-based IT companies aligned to open their offices in Pakistan, which will greatly help the IT department of Punjab.
• Maryam also distributed free "Rashan" in various parts of Punjab to compensate for the economic burdens on the poor. She met with the poultry association in Punjab to lower the prices of chicken in markets so that it could be accessible to the public during Ramazan.
• She visited Johar Town's model bazaar to personally determine if the prices allotted by the government are being followed or not. There, she also interacted with many customers to get an insight into what problems they weren't facing and how those problems could be solved.

CONCLUSION:

    Maryam has voiced very much about her intentions to achieve a visionary, progressive Pakistan, one that would be ahead in IT, economics, and finance, and one that would be corruption-free. Though opinions about her political career and actions vary from mouth to mouth, I personally believe that we should at least appreciate what she has done so far. As per people's claims, it is nothing more than a publicity stunt. Let it be. At least this publicity is doing some good for the public. I mean, what can we as a public do if she decides she just wants to talk big and do nothing to back her declarations up??? Criticize her speech. Yes, that is probably all we can do. So, let her get publicity by doing something beneficial for Punjab; at least it isn't hurting the public, or is it?

A PIECE OF ADVICE

    People hate it when others give them free suggestions, especially those they don't agree with, but that isn't going to stop me from stating my piece of advice. I believe that we are so indulged in having political opinions and criticism that we have lost track of what democracy actually means. We are so involved that we don't know what the word 'criticism' symbolizes. Do you have any idea why? Because having a political opinion gives us an outlet to take out our frustrations. Whatever bad is happening around us, who is responsible for that? Ah, a common answer is "the government." WHY???, we are part of a democratic system; we are choosing them to govern us, and even if we don't, as democratic citizens, we have the duty to access not only the bad decisions or actions but also the positive outcomes a party has achieved, may it be a single good work, because that's what "criticism means to access both good and bad. In short, we need to stop seeing the negative in all and leave that to journalists, who are given the duty to point out evident mistakes.

Author: Zarkash Farooq

BS English Literature,

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Image Sources

Microsoft, F. (2008). https://jerz.setonhill.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Screen-Shot-2017-07-13-at-7.38.22-AM.png

TV, G. (2016). https://www.geo.tv/assets/front/tiny_mce/source/Sports/PM%20with%20Maryam.jpg 

Video Source

Dunya News. (2024, February 26). Punjab Assembly Session: Maryam Nawaz first speech after

 elected CM Punjab | Dunya News [Video]. 

YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDXVG1F-huA 

Other Sources

Ahmad, S. (2024, February 26). Punjab Assembly: Maryam becomes Pakistan’s first

 female CM, says she has no desire to ‘seek revenge’ DAWN.COM. https://www.dawn.com/news/1817279 

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