Nawaz Sharif, the supreme leader of PML-N, persists in chairing administrative meetings alongside his daughter, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, despite facing criticism.
On Monday, Sharif co-led a meeting focused on addressing challenges within the province’s agriculture sector.
Since the general elections on Feb 8, Sharif has largely maintained a low profile. However, during his occasional public appearances, he has been observed taking charge or sharing leadership roles in administrative meetings of the Punjab government, sparking inquiries.
During Monday’s meeting, Sharif expressed grave concerns over the persistent unavailability of quality seeds and emphasized the urgent need for effective measures to conserve water resources, aiming to prevent the wastage of 37 million acres feet (MAF) of water used in agricultural activities.
He stressed the adoption of modern irrigation techniques to promote water conservation. The meeting discussed strategies to enhance farm mechanization rates from 35 to 60 percent in Punjab and the disbursement of a Rs150 billion loan to farmers for Rabi and Kharif crops. Sharif directed the formulation of simple eligibility criteria for farmers to access loans.
Additionally, CM Maryam approved a Rs500 million research endowment fund for the Ayub Agricultural Research Institute in Faisalabad and proposed amendments to the Fertiliser and Pesticide Act.
The meeting was attended by provincial ministers MarriÂyum Aurangzeb, Azma Zahid Bukhari, and Ashiq Hussain Kirmani, along with PML-N leader Pervaiz Rashid and other officials.
Meanwhile, on the same day, CM Maryam presided over a joint meeting of parliamentary parties from PML-N, PPP, and PML-Q to strategize for the upcoming Senate elections. PPP’s parliamentary party leader Ali Haider Gilani assured the CM of his party’s support for PML-N candidates Bushra Butt and Anusha Rahman, contesting for women’s seats.”
