Is Maryam Nawaz Sharif all set to succeed her father Mian Nawaz Sharif as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo? What else could her new position as the senior vice president of the PML-N indicate?
On Tuesday, January 3, 2023, the PML-N issued a notification, appointing Maryam as the senior vice president of the party. She has also been authorized to re-organise the party at all functional levels as the chief organiser.
Maryam is now one of the five senior vice presidents. She was previously one of 16 vice presidents in the party.
Political analysts said her appointment is a token gesture and no more. “It is too little too late,” said Zaigham Khan, in the Naya Daur TV’s flagship programme Khabar Se Aagay. “Her appointment will not make a difference within the party. The ongoing crisis of succession – from Nawaz Sharif to Nawaz Sharif’s successor – has not been resolved,” he added.
“She should have been appointed the president of the party and entrusted with absolute authority, as the successor of Nawaz Sharif. This new position bestowed upon her means nothing,” said Khan.
For a long time, people have seen Maryam as the obvious successor of Nawaz Sharif. She has reflected her father’s charisma and crowd appeal. Yet, she has failed to emerge as a commendable force in the party. After Shehbaz Sharif was elected as the prime minister of the country in April 2022, her role in the party diminished. Her political presence became sporadic and she shuffled between political foreground and background. She was fiery today and silent tomorrow. She neither presented the PML-N nor the government of Pakistan.
But, perhaps, her appointment sends out a signal to the “uncles” and “cousins” within the party -- that they may soon be rendered redundant or they must reinvent their role on the stage of PML-N politics.
Her appointment has not really stirred a storm on any news platform, particularly the social media. At best, it has generated a sedated response from senior members of the party, such as Ishaq Dar, who tweeted: “Heartiest congratulations and best wishes for @MaryamNSharif on her appointment as SVP/Chief Organiser of PMLN by the party President @CMShehbaz in consultation with the party Quaid @NawazSharifMNS”
https://twitter.com/MIshaqDar50/status/1610194080687951875?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1610194080687951875%7Ctwgr%5E07708eef2e390aa680b45577ba15a8a0bbc53ab3%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dawn.com%2Fnews%2F1729728
Experts question if Maryam is the best and obvious successor of Nawaz Sharif – for she lacks the broad range of experience, such as leading any province or a powerful ministry, a prerequisite for cadres wishing for top jobs in the party.
Must we be reminded that political leaders who try to engineer their own succession and see it as their inheritance, are almost certainly pushing their party toward a long illness and ultimately to a fatal death. For now, we simply wait and see what change she is able to bring about in mobilizing the PML-N support base, and gear up for the next elections.
On Tuesday, January 3, 2023, the PML-N issued a notification, appointing Maryam as the senior vice president of the party. She has also been authorized to re-organise the party at all functional levels as the chief organiser.
Maryam is now one of the five senior vice presidents. She was previously one of 16 vice presidents in the party.
Political analysts said her appointment is a token gesture and no more. “It is too little too late,” said Zaigham Khan, in the Naya Daur TV’s flagship programme Khabar Se Aagay. “Her appointment will not make a difference within the party. The ongoing crisis of succession – from Nawaz Sharif to Nawaz Sharif’s successor – has not been resolved,” he added.
“She should have been appointed the president of the party and entrusted with absolute authority, as the successor of Nawaz Sharif. This new position bestowed upon her means nothing,” said Khan.
Experts question if Maryam is the best and obvious successor of Nawaz Sharif – for she lacks the broad range of experience, such as leading any province or a powerful ministry, a prerequisite for cadres wishing for top jobs in the party.
For a long time, people have seen Maryam as the obvious successor of Nawaz Sharif. She has reflected her father’s charisma and crowd appeal. Yet, she has failed to emerge as a commendable force in the party. After Shehbaz Sharif was elected as the prime minister of the country in April 2022, her role in the party diminished. Her political presence became sporadic and she shuffled between political foreground and background. She was fiery today and silent tomorrow. She neither presented the PML-N nor the government of Pakistan.
But, perhaps, her appointment sends out a signal to the “uncles” and “cousins” within the party -- that they may soon be rendered redundant or they must reinvent their role on the stage of PML-N politics.
Her appointment has not really stirred a storm on any news platform, particularly the social media. At best, it has generated a sedated response from senior members of the party, such as Ishaq Dar, who tweeted: “Heartiest congratulations and best wishes for @MaryamNSharif on her appointment as SVP/Chief Organiser of PMLN by the party President @CMShehbaz in consultation with the party Quaid @NawazSharifMNS”
https://twitter.com/MIshaqDar50/status/1610194080687951875?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1610194080687951875%7Ctwgr%5E07708eef2e390aa680b45577ba15a8a0bbc53ab3%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dawn.com%2Fnews%2F1729728
Experts question if Maryam is the best and obvious successor of Nawaz Sharif – for she lacks the broad range of experience, such as leading any province or a powerful ministry, a prerequisite for cadres wishing for top jobs in the party.
Must we be reminded that political leaders who try to engineer their own succession and see it as their inheritance, are almost certainly pushing their party toward a long illness and ultimately to a fatal death. For now, we simply wait and see what change she is able to bring about in mobilizing the PML-N support base, and gear up for the next elections.