PM’s daughter quits as youth loan plan chief

In a letter to the media after her resignation, Maryam Nawaz pledged to keep serving people with or without a designation.

Islamabad — Maryam Nawaz Sharif, daughter of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has resigned as chairperson of the Prime Minister’s Youth Loan Programme following a Lahore High Court order which asked the federal government to replace her on a petition questioning the legality of the appointment and alleging that the appointment was without merit a clear case of nepotism.

“The chairperson has to be changed,” Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah directed while calling for devising a transparent way of appointment.

The judge also raised queries about a unique combination of her degrees — MA (English Literature) and PhD in Political Science which was presented to the court by a government lawyer in support of Maryam Nawaz’s eligibility for the position. He withdrew it in response.

Since her appointment after the PML-N came to power, Maryam Nawaz has been facing criticism, particularly from the opposition PTI leadership.

Huge funds totaling over one billion rupees were put at her disposal for distribution among the youth, apparently to wean them away from Imran Khan’s PTI.

The PTI termed the appointment a sheer case of nepotism and often targeted her for misusing government funds for her own image-building.

In a letter to the media after her resignation, Maryam Nawaz pledged to keep serving people with or without a designation.

She said: “I’ve served in Prime Minister’s Youth Programme diligently, and to the best of my ability, purely as a volunteer and on an honorary basis. I believe in the spirit of volunteerism and that women need to step up and work hard to build a strong Pakistan.

“I’m the proud daughter of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, who has dedicated the best of his years to public service and continues to toil hard for his country and his people.”

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