Maryam's "selection" as CM a milestone for Pakistani politics: US

The United States (US) has warmly welcomed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior vice-president Maryam Nawaz’s "selection" as Punjab’s first woman chief minister, terming it a "milestone in Pakistani politics".

The remarks were conveyed by the US State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller during a press briefing on Monday. 

“So her selection as chief minister is a milestone in Pakistani politics. We look forward to cooperating with Pakistan more broadly on integrating women more fully into the country’s political life, in the economy, including through the US-Pakistan Women’s Council, civil society, and other decision-making spaces,” he said.

“An inclusive Pakistan makes for a strong, prosperous country from which all Pakistanis benefit, so we are always pleased when we see cracks in the glass ceilings anywhere in the world,” Miller added.

Miller also assured that the US will work with the new Pakistani government on advancing shared interests of the two countries.

“So I’m not going to speak with respect to the new prime minister, but as we’ve said before, we value our longstanding partnership with Pakistan and have always viewed a strong, prosperous, and democratic Pakistan as critical to United States-Pakistan interests, and our engagement with new Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his government will continue to focus on advancing these shared interests,” the US spokesman said.

A day earlier, PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif was sworn-in as the 24th prime minister of the country. 

The oath was administered by President Arif Alvi at the President's House in Islamabad.

Later, he was given a guard of honour at PM House in Islamabad as he assumed the responsibilities of his office after taking the oath.

PM Shehbaz was elected as the head of the lower house of the parliament by securing 201 votes, while his oppoent Omar Ayub Khan from Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) got 92 votes.

Nawaz Sharif's brother was backed by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), Pakistan Muslim League-Zia (PML-Z), Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) and National Party (NP).