Maryam Nawaz Slams PTI Leadership Over ‘Minus Nawaz’ Remarks

Lahore – June 22, 2025: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has strongly criticized the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership over their continued calls to sideline her father, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, stating that “those who tried to minus Nawaz are now politically irrelevant themselves.”

Speaking at a party workers’ convention in Lahore, Maryam’s remarks came in response to recent statements by PTI leaders suggesting that Nawaz Sharif’s exclusion from national politics was necessary for Pakistan’s political progress.

‘Minus Nawaz’ Narrative Rejected

“Those who once chanted ‘minus Nawaz’ are now nowhere to be seen. The people of Pakistan have repeatedly shown who they trust,” Maryam said, adding that her father had been wrongfully targeted for political engineering.

She emphasized that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) remains united and electorally strong with Nawaz Sharif at the ideological core.

PTI’s Anti-Nawaz Campaign

Several PTI leaders, including former ministers, have revived their ‘minus one’ rhetoric, arguing that Nawaz Sharif’s return to politics was “unconstitutional” and part of a broader establishment-sponsored political deal.

Maryam countered these claims by stating that “Nawaz Sharif’s legitimacy comes from the people, not courtrooms or backdoor deals.”

A Political Family Resurgence

Since returning from exile, Nawaz Sharif has resumed high-level party meetings and is expected to play a central role in PML-N’s strategy for upcoming Senate and local government elections.

Maryam, as Punjab’s first female chief minister, has often positioned herself as both a reformer and a defender of her father’s legacy, using every opportunity to counter PTI’s criticisms and affirm PML-N’s strength.

“We built motorways, hospitals, and power plants — they built containers and conspiracies,” she remarked, alluding to PTI’s 2014 sit-ins and later political maneuvering.

Growing Political Polarization

The exchange signals a renewed phase of political polarization in Pakistan, with the PML-N focusing on governance and institutional rehabilitation, while the PTI continues to battle legal challenges and leadership disqualifications following the events of May 9, 2023.

Analysts believe that Maryam’s assertive rhetoric is aimed at galvanizing party workers, especially amid growing calls for Nawaz Sharif to contest future elections.