ISLAMABAD: Maryam Nawaz Sharif has assured the ‘annoyed’ National Assembly members of the ruling party that their grievances will be addressed in a timely manner, as per their expectations.

The prime minister’s daughter, who has been meeting cabinet members and lawmakers at the PM House — where she resides as her father’s ‘dependant’ — has also promised all-out support for development schemes in the unhappy MNAs’ constituencies.

Maryam, who holds no official or party position, was last appointed head of the PM’s Youth Loan Scheme, a post she had to relinquish on the orders of the Lahore High Court, which had questioned her academic credentials.

Najaf Abbas Sial was one of the MNAs who was allowed an audience with Maryam. He told Dawn: “Maryam Bibi assured us that in the future she will personally see to it that our grievances are addressed in a timely fashion.”

The MNA from Jhang added that she firmly committed that all problems of the party’s lawmakers would be taken care of. To a question, Mr Sial said that he and other colleagues were also provided special contact numbers so they could reach her in case they were facing any issues.

But Mr Sial repeatedly denied the impression that he was part of some sort of forward bloc that was being formed within the ruling PML-N.

Last week, he along with over 50 of his party colleagues had abstained from the house during Finance Minister Ishaq Dar’s wrapping-up speech on the budget for the upcoming year.

Later, it emerged that these lawmakers were not happy being ignored by ministers and wanted to register their protest by staging a token walkout.

“Yes, we have certain issues which the party leadership has promised to duly address; therefore, there is absolutely no truth to the rumours [of a forward bloc],” Mr Sial clarified.

Another ruling party MNA privy to these meetings, told Dawn on condition of anonymity that the meetings were also meant to take PML-N lawmakers into confidence over the prime minister’s extended stay in London.

“Since many of the government’s detractors are busy churning out rumours regarding the PM’s health and a possible change in the house, we were told that everything is under control and that the prime minister will return after Eid,” the legislator said.

Admitting that the pace of constituency-specific development schemes had been slow over the three years the party had been in power, the MNA said that the leadership, particularly Maryam, had asserted that this would be rectified.

Maryam is quite literally ‘holding the fort’ in her father’s absence and her grip over party affairs is getting firmer by the day, insiders told Dawn.

Prime Minister Sharif is currently convalescing in London after his open heart surgery. According to Senator Ishaq Dar, doctors have advised him against travelling and he is expected to return after Eid.

Since the prime minister is away, it is Maryam who has been receiving ambassadors and other dignitaries at the Prime Minister House, who have been coming in to convey their best wishes for the PM.

For many, Maryam is the heir-apparent to the prime minister as her three siblings — two brothers and a sister — have shown no interest in politics.

Earlier, she was also associated with the Strategic Media Communication Cell of the information ministry, which was tasked with protecting the government’s image and countering opposition parties, especially during the sit-in of 2014.

However, she is also proving to be the Achilles’ heel of the ruling party, as disqualification references have been filed against her father on the basis that he did not declare the two offshore companies in her name, even though she is mentioned as his ‘dependant’.

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2016