Pulling the strings: Maryam Nawaz behind image overhaul measures

Many of govt’s initiatives including PM’s health schemes are her brainchild

ISLAMABAD: The prime minister’s daughter, Maryam Nawaz, is behind many recent governmental decisions and initiatives as she actively manages the ruling PML-N government’s public image on social and traditional media.

According to sources, Maryam Nawaz stays in touch with all officials – associated with the PM House and the ruling party’s media cell – through WhatsApp and other services and constantly seeks details of the unfolding events to manage the government’s public image.

Whether it is about running certain tickers on news channels or issuing special directives to media houses and journalists, it all comes from the PM’s daughter.

The government’s media office called the PM’s Strategic Media Cell is monitored by a group of over 20 members excluding volunteers who work from home. The cell is headed by the PML-N Senator Chaudhary Tanvir Khan’s son Barrister Danyal Chaudhry but all its members report to Maryam.

The media team monitors and updates her on every trend on the social and traditional media and she accordingly makes decisions and policy for the day.

It was in November 2015 when students of Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan’s sub-campus in Lahore staged protests which grabbed media’s attention. The protests were followed by tickers that the PM had taken notice of the issue and asked the HEC chairperson Dr Mukhtar Ahmed to report. Later it turned out that it was Maryam, who held a meeting with Ahmed and urged him to resolve the crisis.

Another team – headed by Maryam Nawaz – is called the ‘Think-Tank of Government’. This team – including lawmakers including Talal Chaudry, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Daniyal Aziz and Anusha Rahman – decides as to who will be the guests on which upcoming TV show.

Apparently the team also makes phone calls and text messages to government lawmakers during the TV shows to help them defend the governmental policies on various issues.

Involvement in key decisions

It was only two weeks ago that apparently a retired army official was to be appointed as the new K-P governor. But at the eleventh hour name of Iqbal Zafar Jhagra was formally announced by the prime minister. According to reliable sources, this sudden change took place because of Maryam Nawaz, who suggested her father to appoint a person with democratic credentials.

Role in various initiatives

Maryam Nawaz is now focusing on the upgrading of 422 educational institutes in the capital with 22 schools  in the initial phase. The prime minister’s recently announced health card scheme as well as Green Pakistan scheme are also her brainchild.

She has also been actively working in the implementation of Apna Ghar scheme, which involves construction of over 500,000 low-cost houses across the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 12^th, 2016.