Swords drawn after PML-N lawmaker likens Maryam to Ertugral.

Byline: Zulqernain Tahir

LAHORE -- Swords were drawn and the social media echoed with war cries after a PML-N provincial lawmaker on Thursday sounded the battle drums by likening her leader Maryam Nawaz Sharif to the hero of Turkish historical epic, Ertugral.

The inspiration hardly came as a surprise since a large number of Pakistanis have been following the series being telecast these days. The drama, that has been accompanied by call for Muslim renaissance made at the time when plays by Urdu writers such as Nasim Hijazi have been shown on national television here, has received the blessings of the highest officials here including Prime Minister Imran Khan.

As it turned out the comparison of Maryam with Ertugral was immediately countered by the PTI supporters who see the great qualities of the Turkish hero reflected in PM Khan.

One man conspicuously missing from this exciting race - or at least keeping a low profile - was Maryam'a uncle Shahbaz Sharif, who is known to be a promoter of all kinds of Turkish models in his own right.

'I am watching Ertugrul nowadays and I see Maryam Nawaz has similar leadership qualities as him. Her strong belief in God, her courage to not give up, her conviction to stand on her principles even when everyone is against her and her ability to differentiate between Right and Wrong #Ertugrul,' PML-N MPA Hina Parvez Butt said in a tweet that sparked a debate, among others, about which characters of the popular TV series had qualities similar to those of other members of the Sharif family.

Soon enough Ms Butt got the flak for 'unnecessary' comparison, providing the critics of the Sharifs on social media with yet another opportunity to mock the family.

Maleeha Hashmi, a twitter user, asked Ms Butt to tell the people 'which characters remind you of Captain Safdar, Hasan and Hussain...