Exclusive: Party loyalists need to be rewarded not punished

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President and Chief Organizer Maryam Nawaz has stated that party loyalists need to be rewarded not punished even as she called for an end to leg pulling.

She said this during an exclusive interview with SAMAA TV while traveling to Pakistan from the UAE. This is her first detailed interview with the media after becoming PML-N’s chief organizer.

Maryam Nawaz said the loyalty of senior leaders of the party was unquestionable.

“No one can question Shahid Khaqan’s commitment to the party and Nawaz Sharif,” she said, addressing the elephant in the room. “He said in a recent TV interview that he will go home but not leave the party.”

“His loyalty and companionship spans three decades, therefore, those who have stayed with the party through thick and thin should be rewarded.”

However, she chose to stay silent about former finance minister Miftah Ismail.

“The party is like a mountain, whoever falls from it will not be more than a stone,” she added.

Differences emerge in every party, but whatever it is, it should be resolved internally, she said, in a nod towards the friction between Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and former finance minister Miftah Ismail.

“Ishaq Dar is loyal to Pakistan and we should trust and support him,” she said, adding that he has proven his abilities time and again, thus he should be trusted to save Pakistan once again.

“If there are any personal grudges they should be resolved internally.”

Future pathway

Maryam stated that the PML-N as a party always runs on merit.

Taking the same vein forward, Maryam said that in the future, party tickets will be distributed based on merit.

“Those who have been loyal with the party and enjoy good repute in their constituency, they should get preference. We have always promoted merit,” she said.

Maryam Nawaz said that she is returning to Pakistan and has been trained by Nawaz Sharif and will work accordingly.

“Even when I used to get hyper, Nawaz Sharif would keep me in check,” she said, adding that she has learnt a lot from Nawaz Sharif.

Asked if she was going to contest for the seat of the prime minister of Punjab chief minister, she said that her focus is currently on reorganizing the party on new lines and direction.

She further said that it was the decision of Nawaz Sharif which house she competes for in the next elections.

Big responsibility

Maryam said that when she was named as the chief organizer and started getting a flood of messages from party workers.

“It made me realize that this is a big responsibility,” she said.

She also said that Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif gave her important responsibilities and have welcomed new ideas which are important for the party’s evolution.

“He (Nawaz Sharif) is welcoming of new ideas and gives them serious weight.

Moreover, she believes she will give the party a new direction.

Reorganizing party

Maryam said that she wants to strengthen the party’s structure and enhance engagement with the public especially the youth and women.

Moreover, she said that she wants to strengthen the party’s engagement with the public.

In this regard, she said that she will start work from Monday where she will go to each division of Punjab until the first week of Ramazan, hold rallies and stay in areas to see the problems faced by the party.

Getting back at Imran

Asked about the air of political victimization, Maryam said that at a personal level, she does not believe in negativity or victimization.

“But nature has a way of maintaining balance,” she said.

“Those who dragged families and oppressed people, they do not meet a good end.”