Maryam Nawaz Sharif (Urdu: مریم نواز شریف; born 28 October 1973), is a Pakistani politician who has served as the 20th chief minister of Punjab, since 26 February 2024.

[18] Maryam was detained for the first time on 12 October 1999, following the 1999 Pakistani coup d'état led by Gen Pervez Musharraf, which ousted her father, then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

[32][29] During Nawaz Sharif's absence from the country, she was proved to be an effective leader of PML-N.[8] In 2017, she faced accusations of supporting blasphemous content after a group of dissenting bloggers was abducted by Pakistani intelligence agencies.

The confession they were pressured to make implicated Maryam in allegedly operating a blasphemous Facebook page called ‘Bhensa’ under the direction of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW).

[19] She became involved in electoral politics in 2017 following her father Nawaz Sharif's disqualification from holding the prime ministership and his conviction by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in connection with the Panama Papers case.

[37] As a result, she was disqualified from politics for 10 years following which PML-N nominated Ali Pervaiz Malik and Irfan Shafi Khokhar to contest the 2018 elections in Constituencies NA-127 (Lahore-V) and PP-173 Lahore-XXX, respectively.

[43] In July 2018, Islamabad High Court judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui accused ISI officials and then Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar of pressuring him to ensure the conviction of Maryam and Nawaz and keep them out of politics.

[48] Social media also remained buzzed with discussions about Maryam's age, clothing, and accessories[29] with some criticisms even coming from ministers and members of the then ruling party PTI.

Dawn wrote PML-N stalwarts were not particularly impressed by how rapidly she ascended through the ranks, especially in a party largely dominated by men and with minimal women in leadership positions.

On one occasion, her father Nawaz Sharif cautioned that if any harm befell his daughter, individuals including PM Imran Khan, COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa, and DG ISI Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, would bear responsibility.

In 2019, she was appointed as vice president of PML-N.[26] She then led anti-government rallies throughout the country, fiercely denouncing Imran Khan, the PTI, as well the military and judiciary for her father's ousting and allegedly facilitating the rise of the then-PTI chairman to power.

[26] In 2020, during an interview with BBC Urdu, Maryam hinted at the potential for dialogue between her party and the then army leadership, whom her father, Nawaz Sharif, has accused of orchestrating his removal as prime minister.

[60] On 19 October 2020, Maryam, along with the senior leadership of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and numerous workers, entered the hallway in Mazar-e-Quaid in Karachi to offer fateha.

[61][62] Later that night, personnel from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Sindh Rangers raided the hotel room where Maryam and her husband Safdar were staying, purportedly due to accusations of "violating the sanctity of Mazar-e-Quaid.

[67] However, she seemed to step back as the Pakistan Democratic Movement, a coalition of political parties, gained momentum, and her uncle Shehbaz Sharif emerged as the opposition's candidate for the next prime minister.

He further stated that any senior leader who dared to challenge her authority would face a fate similar to that of Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan who gradually withdrew from politics after 2018 general election.

This occurred after PTI decided to boycott the elections following Rana Aftab's request to address the House was denied by the speaker, Malik Ahmad Khan.

[112] Former Federal Minister for Information, Pervaiz Rashid was also attached as a senior advisor to Maryam, to provide guidance on political matters in the government due to her limited experience.

[122][123] According to ThePrint, Maryam's administration faced criticism for alleged corruption and inefficiencies, notably with farmers protesting against the "wheat scam" and incidents of blasphemy-related violence in the province.

However, Nawaz Sharif only dismissed Fatemi and Rao Tehseen for their alleged involvement in "Dawn leaks", stating that a notification regarding this matter would be issued soon.

"[130][131] In an apparent reference to Maryam's alleged involvement in the "Dawn leaks", then federal interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan remarked that the government should not have formed two committees on the issue if its intention was to shield someone.

[137] In response, Hameed stated that he held the rank of major general in 2017 and 2018, and indicated that he did not have the authority to single-handedly overthrow the entire government as the army chief has the final say in such matters.

[138][139] She also criticized Saqib Nisar, who served as Chief Justice of Pakistan during Nawaz Sharif's ouster, accusing him of "facilitating" Imran Khan during his tenure as the country's prime minister, and called him as a "liar".

[147] Maryam is regarded as heir apparent of Nawaz Sharif[148][149][150] and the "presumed future leader" of the PML-N.[144][14] Dawn wrote she's "known for her biting rhetoric and ability to both pull and rouse a crowd" saying that she has established herself in a political arena largely dominated by men.

[169] The Supreme Court announced its decision on 28 July 2017 and disqualified Nawaz Sharif from holding public office as he had been dishonest in not disclosing his employment in the Dubai-based Capital FZE company in his nomination papers.

[171][172][173][174] In September 2017, the NAB filed three corruption references against Nawaz Sharif and his three children including Maryam in compliance with the Supreme Court verdict in the Panama Papers case.

[202] It was later revealed in 2017 by a Joint Investigation Team that "she was the beneficiary of the London flats and she purposely never declared the ownership of these overseas properties, submitted fake documents, and misled the Supreme Court of Pakistan".

In the recording, she appeared to be advising her uncle, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, to depict the death of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf worker Zilleh Shah as a car accident caused by his party colleagues.

[211] In March 2024, After assuming the role of Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam lodged a complaint with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) against PTI leader Shandana Gulzar.

They condemned Maryam's statements, describing them as "vile and regressive language" and argued that she was "unfit to represent the public while disregarding the safety, rights, and dignity of survivors of sexual violence.