# Maryam Nawaz provincial government

The Maryam Nawaz provincial government is the Provincial Cabinet of Punjab, Pakistan headed by the present Chief Minister, Maryam Nawaz. The oath-taking ceremony of Maryam as Chief Minister was held on 25 February 2024. The 18-member cabinet ministers took oath on 6 March.
Marriyum Aurangzeb was made a senior minister, virtually making her the deputy chief minister of Punjab. Reportedly, due to Maryam Nawaz's lack of parliamentary experience, Aurangzeb, instead of being assigned to the Federal Government, was transferred to the Punjab government to assist Maryam in handling the provincial government’s affairs. This also caused a stir among the PML-N MPAs in Punjab Assembly.
Reportedly, Maryam's father Nawaz Sharif, endorsed the selection of cabinet ministers, whom Maryam also referred to as her mentor.

## History
### Inauguration

Provincial elections were held in Punjab on 8 February 2024 to elect 18th Provincial Assembly of the Punjab. Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N) won 137 out of total 297 direct seats in the Punjab Assembly. Later, 23 independent candidates who won direct seats also joined PML-N.
On 26 February 2024, Senior Vice President of PML-N and MPA Maryam Nawaz was elected by the PML-N legislative members as their leader in the assembly and later, the same day she took oath as the Chief Minister in the Punjab government in a public ceremony in Lahore. On 6 March, an 18-member provincial cabinet of Chief Minister Maryam, was sworn in. Maryam relative Bilal Yasin was made the Minister for Food while her close associate Faisal Ayub Khokhar, was given the portfolio of the Sports Affairs ministry.
She also appointed three ministers from her uncle Shahbaz Sharif’s third provincial Punjab cabinet namely, Khawaja Imran Nazir, Khawaja Salman Rafique, and Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman. The cabinet comprised two female ministers; Marriyum Aurangzeb and Azma Bukhari, and two ministers from Non-Muslim community; Khalil Tahir Sandhu and Ramesh Singh Arora.

## Major decisions

Shortly after assuming office as Chief Minister, Maryam announced the establishment of first public cancer hospital to be built in Lahore. She launched various initiatives such as Ramadan Nigehban (Guardian Ramadan) Package to deliver essential food items to the needy people before the start of Ramadan, Suthra Punjab (Clean Punjab) campaign to cleanup whole of Punjab within a month, Sarkain Bahal Punjab Khushhaal project to construct, repair and rehabilitate roads in Punjab, Never Again to eliminate violence against women, and Apni Chat Apna Ghar project to provide homes for the poor.
On 11 March, she approved the procurement of 657 environment-friendly buses for the urban areas of Punjab and 20,000 electric bikes. These 20,000 e-bikes were intended for students on "easy" installment plans. On 12 March, she approved the construction of 21-storey Arfa Karim Tower-II as well setting up 516 free Wi-Fi points in Lahore. On 12 March, the Punjab Emergency Services Department announced plans to launch an air ambulance service in Punjab, a project proposed by Maryam.
On 18 March, the Punjab cabinet, chaired by Maryam Nawaz, presented its inaugural budget of Rs4,480 billion for a specific period of three months (April to June) for the fiscal year 2023-24. Questions were raised over how Nawaz Sharif, a National Assembly member without any official position in the provincial or federal government, could preside over the administrative meetings of the Punjab government and issue directives. Despite lacking an official role, it was widely perceived that he was heavily influential in major decision-making processes. Subsequently, a petition was lodged in the Lahore High Court against Nawaz Sharif for presiding over three consecutive administrative meetings of the provincial government.
On 5 April, Maryam announced plans for the establishment of a transgender school at the division level in Punjab and has directed the relevant authorities to ensure the provision of educational facilities for special children in at least one government school within each district of Punjab.
Under the ministry, the Punjab Dhee Rani Programme was launched, which aims to help underprivileged families, with marriage financial aid and bridal gifts. She has also introduced the CM Punjab Free Solar Panel Scheme to provide free solar panels to households, helping them reduce electricity costs. Furthermore, the CM Maryam Nawaz Laptop Scheme 2025 is set to distribute 50,000 laptops to students, helping them access technology for their studies. In the field of sports, she has supported the Khelta Punjab Games 2025, which encourages youth participation in sports, with winners receiving E-bikes. Additionally, her government is constructing a school for children with autism, which is a step toward inclusive education. On 9 February 2025, She inaugurated the 2025 National Horse and Cattle show. The event is designed as a family festival featuring culture, literature, and Punjab’s vibrant traditions. According to MaryamAurangzeb, 80 local and 14 national teams will participate, making it a grand national celebration.
On 15 February 2025, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, inaugurated the Green Agri Mall and Service Company in the Cholistan Desert as part of the Green Pakistan Initiative, launched in collaboration with the Pakistan Army. The initiative, introduced in 2023, aims to convert uncultivated government lands into productive agricultural fields to enhance food security and promote sustainable farming practices. The inauguration ceremony was attended by General Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff, along with other government officials and local farmers. The facility aims to provides high-quality seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and rental services for modern farming machinery, including drones, at controlled rates. It also includes a 5,000-acre Smart Agri Farm and an Agricultural Research and Facilitation Centre to offer technical support and advanced agricultural solutions. These developments aim to revolutionize agriculture in the region, ensuring food security and improving farmers' livelihoods in 2025 and beyond.

## List of Members of Cabinet

| | Sr. No. | Name | Constituency | Portfolio | Assumed office | Party |
| Chief Minister ||||||||
| | 1 | Maryam Nawaz (Chief Minister) | PP-159 (Lahore-XV) | All other portfolios | 26 February 2024 | PMLN |
| Ministers ||||||||
| | 2 | Marriyum Aurangzeb (Senior Minister) | W-300 (Reserved seat for women) | 1. Planning and Development 2. Environment Protection and Climate Change 3. Forestry, Fisheries & Wildlife 4. Chief Minister’s Special Initiatives | 6 March 2024 | PMLN |
| | 3 | Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman | PP-148 (Lahore-IV) | Finance | 6 March 2024 | PMLN |
| | 4 | Ashiq Husain Khan | PP-186 (Okara-II) | Agriculture | 6 March 2024 | PMLN |
| | 5 | Kazim Ali Pirzada | PP-245 (Bahawalpur-I) | Irrigation | 6 March 2024 | PMLN |
| | 6 | Rana Sikandar Hayat | PP-183 (Kasur-IX) | School Education | 6 March 2024 | PMLN |
| | 7 | Khawaja Imran Nazir | PP-150 (Lahore-VI) | Primary & Secondary Health Care | 6 March 2024 | PMLN |
| | 8 | Khawaja Salman Rafique | PP-153 (Lahore-IX) | 1. Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education 2. Punjab Emergency Services | 6 March 2024 | PMLN |
| | 9 | Zeeshan Rafiq | PP-51 (Sialkot-VIII) | Local Government and Community Development | 6 March 2024 | PMLN |
| | 10 | Bilal Akbar Khan | PP-58 (Narowal-V) | Transport and Mass Transit | 6 March 2024 | PMLN |
| | 11 | Sohaib Ahmad Malik | PP-71 (Sargodha-I) | Communication and Works | 6 March 2024 | PMLN |
| | 12 | Azma Bukhari | W-301 (Reserved seat for women) | Information | 6 March 2024 | PMLN |
| | 13 | Bilal Yasin | PP-174 (Lahore-XXX) | Food | 6 March 2024 | PMLN |
| | 14 | Ramesh Singh Arora | NM-366 (Reserved seat for minorities) | Minorities Affairs | 6 March 2024 | PMLN |
| | 15 | Khalil Tahir Sandhu | NM-367 (Reserved seat for minorities) | 1. Human Rights | 6 March 2024 | PMLN |
| | 15 | Khalil Tahir Sandhu | NM-367 (Reserved seat for minorities) | 2. Parliamentary Affairs | 7 March 2024 | PMLN |
| | 16 | Faisal Ayub | PP-168 (Lahore-XXIV) | Sports | 6 March 2024 | PMLN |
| | 17 | Shafay Hussain | PP-31 (Gujrat-V) | Industries, Commerce & Investment | 6 March 2024 | PML(Q) |
| | 18 | Sardar Sher Ali Gorchani | PP-293 (Rajanpur-II) | Mines & Minerals | 6 March 2024 | PMLN |
| | 19 | Sohail Shaukat Butt | PP-151 (Lahore-VII) | Bait-ul-Maal & Social Welfare | 6 March 2024 | PMLN |
On March 19, Maryam Nawaz appointed Saima Farooq as her personal secretary, and Zeeshan Ashiq Malik was named special assistant for political matters, tasked with handling all political affairs on behalf of Maryam.

## Reception

Since no woman had occupied a top federal or provincial government position since the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in 2007. Maryam's candidacy for the position of Punjab Chief Minister was perceived as a notable development by some segments of the population. Her supporters argue that her election as Pakistan's first female chief minister symbolizes the overcoming of patriarchal norms and a step forward for gender equality in Pakistani politics. However, her critics argue that her rise to this position is mainly due to dynastic politics rather than her personal merit.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party that won the second-most seats in Punjab dismissed Maryam Nawaz’s government as ‘unconstitutional’ and labelled Maryam herself as a ‘fake chief minister’ due to her being on a stolen mandate. PTI and opposition to Maryam has challenged her election as rigged. PTI has provided evidence claiming that it won the 2024 Punjab provincial election and defeated the PML (N), and they claim the results were changed to favor Maryam Nawaz. Maryam was also accused of only prioritizing the Sharif family’s wealth while in power. PTI said the Maryam ministry would ‘collapse under its own weight’ due it being formed on the basis of rigging. They also announced to establish a shadow cabinet in Punjab, tasked with overseeing the performance of the provincial government across various administrative departments. On 21 March Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur demanded the resignations of the federal and Punjab governments, alleging electoral fraud in Maryam's appointment as Chief Minister. He labeled her government as illegitimate and urged her to respect the limits of her authority.
The Leader of the Opposition in the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab, Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar stated that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz was a ‘TikToker’ due to her bad governance policies. PTI leader and opposition politician in the National Assembly, Sher Afzal Marwat has accused Maryam Nawaz’s government of hiring gunmen to assassinate him. Pakistani journalist Imran Riaz Khan has alleged that Maryam Nawaz was a key figure behind his arrest and said that she is being made the chief minister after stealing the people’s votes.
In April 2024, following Maryam's accusation that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was supplying metal kite strings to Punjab, PTI leaders condemned Maryam's remarks about Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and suggested that the Sharif family had a history of animosity towards the province.