MPA proposes to put Nawaz Sharif on Rs5,000 note alongside Jinnah

A proposal involving Pakistan's highest-denomination currency note is generating debate online after a PML-N lawmaker suggested adding former prime minister Nawaz Sharif alongside Muhammad Ali Jinnah on the Rs5,000 banknote.

Punjab Assembly member Arshad Malik reportedly proposed that the existing note feature both leaders, a suggestion that quickly found its way onto social media and triggered a wave of reactions.

Supporters argued that Nawaz Sharif's political legacy and multiple terms in office make him worthy of recognition, while critics questioned whether any political figure should share space with the country's founder on national currency.

Others turned the proposal into meme material, with users debating which political figures, if any, should ever be added to Pakistani banknotes.

At the moment, the suggestion remains exactly that — a suggestion.

No official announcement has been made regarding any redesign of the Rs5,000 note, and there is currently no indication that Pakistan's currency will be altered to include Nawaz Sharif.

Still, the idea has succeeded in doing one thing: getting people talking about what — and who — belongs on the country's money.