File photo of U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller
The United States on Monday declared the election of Maryam Nawaz as the Chief Minister of Punjab a “milestone” in Pakistani politics, stressing Washington is “always pleased” when it sees “cracks” in the glass ceiling anywhere in the world.
“[H]er selection as chief minister is a milestone in Pakistani politics,” said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller during a regular press briefing while responding to a question on how her election signified progress for women’s representation in Pakistani politics. “We look forward to cooperating with Pakistan more broadly on integrating women more fully into the country’s political life, in the economy, including through the U.S.-Pakistan Women’s Council, civil society, and other decision making spaces,” he said.
“An inclusive Pakistan makes for a strong, prosperous country, which all Pakistanis benefit from, and so we are always pleased when we see cracks in the glass ceiling anywhere in the world,” he added.
Maryam became the first woman chief minister in Pakistan’s history last week after winning the elections with 220 votes in the Punjab Assembly. Her opponent, Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC)’s Rana Aftab Ahmad, did not get any votes as the party boycotted the polling process.
To a follow-up question on Pakistan having already elected a woman prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, which was also a milestone Miller said she “absolutely” was. “This does not change that,” he added.
Also on Monday, the spokesperson addressed a question on bilateral ties between Pakistan and the U.S. under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. “So I’m not going to speak with respect to the new prime minister, but as we’ve said before, we value our longstanding partnership with Pakistan and have always viewed a strong, prosperous, and democratic Pakistan as critical to United States-Pakistan interests,” he said. “Our engagement with new Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his government will continue to focus on advancing these shared interests,” he added.
P.M. Sharif took oath as the country’s 24th prime minister at the President’s House in Islamabad on Monday, a day after he won the election with 201 votes to the 92 secured by his opponent, PTI’s Omar Ayub Khan. He is the first person in Pakistan’s history to be elected prime minister consecutively after earlier having served in the role for 16 months in the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government.