1. Maryam Nawaz Sharif is a Pakistani politician who has served as the 20th chief minister of Punjab since 26 February 2024.
74 Facts About Maryam Nawaz
1. 2.
Maryam Nawaz is the first woman to hold the position of chief minister in Pakistan.
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Maryam Nawaz Sharif was born on 28 October 1973 in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, to Nawaz Sharif and Kulsoom Butt.
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Maryam Nawaz is of Punjabi Kashmiri descent and is the eldest of four siblings, including her sister Asma.
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Maryam Nawaz received her early education at the Convent of Jesus and Mary, Lahore, completing pre-nursery through the 10th grade.
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Maryam Nawaz then pursued her FSC at Lahore College for Women, graduating in 1991.
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Maryam Nawaz subsequently enrolled in King Edward Medical College in the late 1980s through transfer of certificate with the intention of becoming a medical doctor.
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Maryam Nawaz later enrolled at Fatima Jinnah Medical College in Lahore, but did not complete her medical education, and dropped out in 1992 after her scandal with Capt.
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Maryam Nawaz's marriage was her first major appearance in the media.
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Maryam Nawaz has three children with Safdar: a son, Junaid, and two daughters, Mahnoor and Mehr-un-Nisa.
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Maryam Nawaz completed her undergraduate studies at the University of the Punjab, where she earned a master's degree in English literature.
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In November 2011, Maryam Nawaz Sharif granted her permission to enter politics after she expressed her intention to do so.
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In 2012, Maryam Nawaz collaborated with PML-N leaders to prepare the Punjab Women Empowerment Package, initiated by her uncle Shehbaz Sharif, then chief minister of Punjab, in addition to playing a role in the implementation of the women-only Pink Bus scheme in Punjab during the same year.
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Reportedly, Maryam Nawaz contributed to various initiatives aimed at women's welfare in Punjab.
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Maryam Nawaz largely remained out of the spotlight till 2013 when she was put in charge of Nawaz Sharif's successful election campaign during the 2013 Pakistani general election where she reportedly played a prominent role.
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Maryam Nawaz was credited for her efforts in galvanizing public sentiment through social media prior to and after the 2013 election.
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Maryam Nawaz was positioned by the PML-N as a counterbalance to the youth following enjoyed by PTI's Imran Khan.
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The Attorney General, representing Maryam Nawaz, presented information from her Wikipedia biography page to prove her academic credentials.
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In 2016, she garnered significant media attention when the then Prime Minister, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, underwent open-heart surgery in the UK.
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Rather than accompanying her father to the UK, Maryam Nawaz remained in Prime Minister House and assumed responsibility for media management.
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Maryam Nawaz provided updates on her father's medical condition to the press through her Twitter account.
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Maryam Nawaz became involved in electoral politics in 2017 following her father Nawaz Sharif's disqualification from holding the prime ministership and his conviction by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in connection with the Panama Papers case.
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Maryam Nawaz received a 7-year sentence for abetment after being found "instrumental in concealing her father's properties," which included 1 year for non-cooperation with the NAB.
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Maryam Nawaz later appealed against her conviction in the Islamabad High Court, after which she and her father were released from Adiala Jail on 19 September 2018 after the Islamabad High Court granted them bail and suspended their respective prison terms in the Avenfield corruption case.
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The remark was criticized by some of Khan's own supporters and followed Maryam Nawaz's repeated tirades against Khan and his wife.
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At one point, the then Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs, Ali Amin Gandapur, claimed that Maryam Nawaz had spent Rs 80 million on surgery and vowed to reveal her true appearance to the public by undoing the effects of cosmetic surgery.
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Maryam Nawaz faced another arrest by the NAB Lahore on 8 August 2019, this time in connection with the Chaudhry Sugar Mills corruption case.
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Maryam Nawaz was taken into custody at Kot Lakhpat Jail where she was on her weekly visit to meet her father, Nawaz Sharif.
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Maryam Nawaz then approached the Lahore High Court which on 6 November 2019, granted her bail and ordered to release her.
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Maryam Nawaz alleged that authorities had installed cameras in her jail cell and bathroom.
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On 19 November 2019, her father Maryam Nawaz Sharif departed for the United Kingdom just 20 days after being released on bail.
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Maryam Nawaz became increasingly involved in politics during her father's four-year self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom.
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Maryam Nawaz then led anti-government rallies throughout the country, fiercely denouncing Imran Khan, the PTI, as well the military and judiciary for her father's ousting and allegedly facilitating the rise of the then-PTI chairman to power.
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In 2020, during an interview with BBC Urdu, Maryam hinted at the potential for dialogue between her party and the then army leadership, whom her father, Nawaz Sharif, has accused of orchestrating his removal as prime minister.
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Maryam Nawaz claimed that the Sindh police chief was forcibly taken to the ISI sector commander's office and pressured to sign her arrest warrants when the IG Police showed reluctance, it was decided that the arrest would be conducted by the Sindh Rangers.
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On 3 January 2023, Maryam Nawaz was appointed as senior vice president of the PML-N, making her one of the PML-N's senior-most leaders.
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Maryam Nawaz was appointed as the "Chief Organizer" of the party with the mandate to restructuring and reorganizing the party at all levels.
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Maryam Nawaz further stated that any senior leader who dared to challenge her authority would face a fate similar to that of Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan who gradually withdrew from politics after 2018 general election.
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Maryam Nawaz underwent throat surgery in Geneva in early January before returning to Pakistan after spending three months in London on 28 January 2023.
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Ahead of the 2024 Pakistani general election, when the Supreme Court withdrew PTI's electoral symbol, the"cricket bat," Maryam Nawaz welcomed the decision, stating that terrorists should not be allotted party symbols during a speech as she kicked off PML-N election campaign from Okara in January 2024.
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On 25 February 2024, Maryam Nawaz submitted her nomination papers for the office of Punjab Chief Minister, competing against PTI-backed Rana Aftab Ahmad Khan.
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Maryam Nawaz was backed by PML-N, and its allies such as Pakistan People's Party, Pakistan Muslim League, and the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party.
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Former Federal Minister for Information, Pervaiz Rashid was attached as a senior advisor to Maryam Nawaz, to provide guidance on political matters in the government due to her limited experience.
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Maryam Nawaz actively participated in all administrative meetings chaired by Maryam since she assumed the role of Chief Minister of Punjab.
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Maryam's father Nawaz Sharif ended his exile and returned to Pakistan in 2007 prior to the 2008 Pakistani general election in which her father's party, Pakistan Muslim League, emerged as one of the two largest parties.
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However, Maryam Nawaz was noted for advocating minority rights and opposing political alliances with banned militant outfits.
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Maryam Nawaz expressed regret over the inability of her father's party, PML-N, and the Pakistan People's Party to maintain their short-lived coalition following the election.
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In 2016, Maryam Nawaz was suspected of being involved in the leak of a story to Dawn, later dubbed as "Dawn leaks", regarding a confrontation between Pakistan's civilian government and military officials during a top-secret national security meeting regarding countering militancy.
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Maryam Nawaz emphasized that if the government sought to conceal information, it would not have established such committees.
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Some within and outside the PML-N attribute party's misfortunes directly to Maryam Nawaz's rise to prominence, since the "Dawn leaks" controversy emerged.
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In March 2023, Maryam Nawaz called for the court martial of former DG ISI Faiz Hameed, asserting that he should be held accountable for playing an unconstitutional role.
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Maryam Nawaz alleged Hameed had played a part in the downfall of the Nawaz Sharif government in 2017 and supported the Imran Khan government for four years.
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Maryam Nawaz claimed that Hameed confessed to his role and emphasized that it was time for institutions to take action against him.
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Maryam Nawaz criticized Saqib Nisar, who served as Chief Justice of Pakistan during Nawaz Sharif's ouster, accusing him of "facilitating" Imran Khan during his tenure as the country's prime minister, and called him as a "liar".
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In 2012, when Nawaz Sharif suspended Maryam's husband, Safdar, from the PML-N due to suspicions of Safdar's involvement in planning to establish his own separate party.
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Maryam Nawaz publicly supported her father's decision and criticized her husband's actions.
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Maryam Nawaz warned of strict action against any such deviations.
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Maryam Nawaz stated he wouldn't serve under any junior leader, particularly Maryam, and expressed concerns over the party's management.
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Shortly after her appointment as Chief Minister, Maryam Nawaz visited the Punjab Safe Cities Authority headquarters.
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Some individuals praised Maryam Nawaz's actions, interpreting them as a display of humility and empathy, and a sign of respect towards the police officer.
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On 3 April 2016, the Panama Papers were leaked and Maryam was named in it along with her two brothers, Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz.
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In January 2017, Maryam Nawaz submitted her statement to the Supreme Court saying she has not been dependent on her father since her marriage in 1992.
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On 16 February 2017, Maryam Nawaz's lawyer admitted before the Supreme Court that Maryam Nawaz owned four flats in London for at least six months in 2006.
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Maryam Nawaz was given seven years for abetment and one year for non-cooperation with the NAB.
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The funeral of Kulsoom Maryam Nawaz was held on 14 September 2018.
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In 2011 on a TV show with Pakistani anchor Sana Bucha, Maryam Nawaz said she owned no properties in central London let alone in Pakistan.
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Maryam Nawaz's conviction was overturned on 29 September 2022 related to the purchase of apartments in London.
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In 2018 in her affidavit to the Election Commission of Pakistan, Maryam Nawaz declared her assets to be worth 845 million.
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Maryam Nawaz owns 1,506 Kanals of agricultural land and has invested millions into companies.
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In March 2017, Maryam Nawaz was included in the BBC's 100 Women list, recognizing influential women worldwide, notably as the first daughter in her country.
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Maryam Nawaz later verified the authenticity of the audio clip and defended her actions, explaining that she was referring to PML-N advertisements.
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The man informed Shehbaz that Maryam Nawaz was requesting the import of a power plant from India for her son-in-law's business.
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In March 2024, After assuming the role of Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz lodged a complaint with the Federal Investigation Agency against PTI leader Shandana Gulzar.
74.
Maryam Nawaz asserted that Maryam Nawaz had orchestrated the plot through an Indian citizen named Jindal, initially meeting in South Africa and Dubai.