LAHORE: After assuming top slot in the party, Maryam Nawaz has started installing her own team in Punjab.

On Monday, her ‘trusted’ party man Saiful Malook Khokhar was made PML-N Lahore chapter president by deposed premier Nawaz Sharif.

The Khokar brothers are said to be ‘major financiers’ of the PML-N and considered very close to Maryam. The first assignment to Khokhar is to make arrangements for ‘warm reception’ of Maryam on her return to Lahore from London on Jan 28.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf term the Khokhar brothers ‘land mafia’ of Lahore. During the PTI tenure, Khokhar brothers faced FIA and ACE investigation into their alleged involvement in money laundering and land grabbing.

The PML-N Lahore president’s post fell vacant on the death of Pervez Malik in 2021.

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2023