Within one week of the general elections in Pakistan, the picture of who will form the next government is slowly becoming clear. The slot of who will be prime minister is not conclusively decided, but atleast six parties have decided that it will be from the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz.

With Nawaz and Shehbaz Sharif both trying to put forward each other’s names, it seems it will take some more time before the name is settled. However, the party has decided one thing conclusively, Maryam Nawaz will be its candidate for the slot of Punjab’s chief minister.

It is too soon to say if Maryam will manage to get elected to the post. PMLN has 137 seats in the Punjab Assembly while independents including those backed by PTI totla 138 in number.

However, the announcement of the candidacy does mean that the Sharif family will keep Punjab’s top spot in the family once again.

In five previous stints in power, the Sharifs have only allowed two people to get close to the seat, and even of them was there temporarily.

Nawaz won Punjab’s government for the first time in 1988. He put his prominent role to full use to show opposition to Benazir Bhutto’s government in the centre, with some reports even suggesting he would disappear from the scene when the PM visited Lahore.

When the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad won a majority in Punjab in 1990 again, the reins of the province were handed over to Ghulam Hyder Wyne. The new chief minister ruled for over the province for over two years until the next elections were called.

Wyne remained Punjab’s CM while the Sharifs’ party enjoyed a majority in the assembly. He was ultimately replaced after a revolt in the house by Manzoor Watto of the PML-Jinnah. The revolt was short lived and the assembly was dissolved less than 3 months later.

When the PMLN came to power again in 1997, Nawaz’s younger brother, Shehbaz, was ready to step up.

The younger Sharif served as the CM from 1997 to 1998 and then between 2008 and 2018, almost for two full terms.

We say almost here, because Shehbaz did not immediately assume charge of the province. He was disqualified from the 2008 elections due to case against him and could only be elected in a by-election.

For the first 58 days of the new regime, Dost Muhammad Khosa was appointed as the CM. He made way as soon as Shehbaz was elected.

Shehbaz remained Punjab’s ruler for two terms until assemblies completed their tenure in 2018. There was another interruption in 2009, when governor’s rule was imposed for just over a month in February.

When the opposition parties in the Punjab Assembly finally managed to dislodge the Usman Buzdar-led PTI government in April 2022, the Sharifs turned to another one of their own.

Shehbaz’s son, Hamza, became CM in a happening month for Pakistani politics that also saw a change in the centre. However, the seat was only his for 87 days.

Victory might still be uncertain as a fourth member of the family vies for Punjab’s top spot, but one fact has been reinforced: the post of CM will remain very much within the family.