Marriyum Aurangzeb appointed 'assistant' to Maryam Nawaz in Punjab

Former Information Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb will be serving as an assistant to the party's seniour vice-president Maryam Nawaz if the latter becomes Chief Minister Punjab.

Aurangzeb had submitted separate nomination papers for reserved seats for women in the National Assembly and the Punjab Assembly.

According to sources, party leaders Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif, following consultations, decided to keep her in Punjab rather than assigning her a role in the central government.

Marriyum Aurangzeb has twice served as a member of the National Assembly and twice held the position of Federal Minister of Information.

She will take her oath as a member of the Punjab Assembly for the first time and assist Maryam Nawaz in provincial matters, as the latter is set to become the first woman Chief Minister of a province in Pakistan.

In the February 8 elections, Nawaz Sharif's party won 133 seats in the Punjab Assembly, however, 23 independent candidates joined PML-N, taking the tally to 156 lawmakers.

PML-N has managed to secure 36 reserved seats for women and 5 for minorities, which raised the party members' strength in the Punjab Assembly to 197.

In order to clinch the coveted post of the Punjab CM, Maryam Nawaz has to bring 186 members, however, PML-N's nominee has the support of 227 lawmakers, including PPP's 14, PML-Q's 10, IPP's 6.

New members will be sworn in at the Assembly's inaugural session by Speaker Sibtain Khan.