Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) President and seven other parties backed candidate Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has been elected as 24th Prime Minister of Pakistan by securing 201 votes and defeating PTI-backed and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) nominated candidate Omar Ayub Khan, who got 92 votes on Sunday.
National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq announced the official results of the polling of the prime minister elections and declared Shehbaz Sharif as the 24th Prime Minister of the 16th National Assembly of Pakistan and becoming as the Leader of the House in the Lower House of the Parliament, Ntional Assembly.
National Assembly session was kicked off with a delay of an hour. The session started with recitation of Holy Quran, reading of an Hadith and Naat following by the national anthem of Pakistan. PMLN supremo Nawaz Sharif, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and stalwarts from parties reached the NA.
On NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq’s directions, the doors of the National Assembly Hall were closed and voting process has been completed in which Akhter Mengal and JUI-F did not take part in the voting process.
PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council members protests and held slogeneering against the PDM 2.0, a rainbow roalition of eight parties which is all set to form the Central government. PTI alleged that the PDM leaders have stolen the mendate. The PMLN and PPP have rejected the allegations.
IPP leader Aun Chaudhry reached the Parliament House. Amid tight security arrangements inside and outside the Parliament for the National Assembly session as hundreds of Police, Rangers and FC personnel have been deployed.
Vehicles coming to Parliament House allowed to enter after checking and most importantly ordinary visitors are not allowed in the session of the National Assembly.
Jam Kamal took aoth as the member of the National Assembly wherein NA speaker Ayaz Sadiq administered oath from the MNA from Balochistan, who is also the former chief minister of Balochistan.
Pakistan’s newly formed parliament elected Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday as prime minister for a second time, three weeks after uncertain national elections caused delays in the formation of a coalition government.
“Shehbaz Sharif is declared to have been elected the prime minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said, after announcing Sharif had secured 201 votes, above the required 169 votes in the house.
He beat Omar Ayub, the candidate backed by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who secured 92 votes.
The declaration was met with loud protests from the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) party backed by Khan. The lawmakers called for Khan’s release and shouted slogans alleging Sharif had come to power through electoral rigging.
The Feb. 8 election was marred by a mobile internet shutdown, arrests and violence in its build-up and the unusually delayed results triggered accusations that the vote was rigged.
Sharif returned to the role he held until August when parliament was dissolved ahead of the elections and a caretaker government took over. No single party won a majority.
Sharif, 72, is the younger brother of three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who spearheaded their Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party’s election campaign.
Candidates backed by Khan gained the most seats but the PML-N and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) agreed to form a coalition government, which enabled Shehbaz Sharif to be elected as prime minister as his brother stepped aside.
In his previous term, Sharif’s government was able to negotiate a critical International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal but the process was mired in challenges, and measures required by the agreement – which expires in April – have contributed to rising prices and added pressure on poor and middle class households.
The new government will have to immediately start talks with the IMF for the next agreement to shore up the country’s economy whilst also dealing with growing discontent over deepening poverty.
