WASHINGTON – The US has termed the election of Maryam Nawaz as first woman chief minister of Pakistan a “milestone in Pakistani politics”.
Last month, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior vice president made the history on as she became the first woman CM Punjab.
Maryam Nawaz had secured 220 votes while the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) candidate received no vote as his party and allies had boycotted the session.
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, in a regular press briefing said, the US looked 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.
“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 said.
‘We value our longstanding partnership with Pakistan and have always viewed a strong, prosperous, and democratic Pakistan as critical to United States-Pakistan interests, and our engagement with new Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his government will continue to focus on advancing these shared interests,” he said.