Monday, March 4, 2024
Shehbaz Sharif returns as Prime Minister of Pakistan for 2nd term
Parliament in Pakistan re-elected Shehbaz Sharif to a second term as prime minister three weeks after the February 8 national poll. Sharif will be the 24th prime minister of Pakistan. Trending : Join Saudi Expatriates channel on Facebook
With 201 votes in the lower house of the National Assembly, Shehbaz, the younger brother of three-time prime minister and head of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Sharif (PML-N) surpassed the 169 votes required for a simple majority by 32 votes.
- The party of imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), whose candidate Omer Ayub Khan was his primary opponent, garnered 92 votes.
- Pakistan People's Party, a center-left party, and several regional parties all backed Shehbaz to victory. A lawmaker from southwestern Balochistan province and the Jamiat Ulema Islam, a prominent religiopolitical party headed by Maulana Fazl-ur-Rahman, a former opposition leader, chose not to cast a vote. Recommend : Average Human Lifespan increases in Saudi Arabia
- Monday will mark the official swearing-in of Shehbaz Sharif. Speaker Ayaz Sadiq announced the results, and MPs from the PML(N) celebrated by beating desks and shouting the party's election symbol, "Sher, Sher" (lion, lion).
- Opposing the newly elected prime minister and the ruling coalition, PTI legislators demonstrated by assembling outside the speaker's desk, carrying images of Imran Khan, and chanting anti-prime-minister and anti-coalition slogans during his inaugural address.
- Allegations of rigging and violent incidents cast a shadow on the February 8 elections. Independents supported by the PTI won more seats, but they were unable to create an alliance, hence the PML(N)-led coalition formed the government for the following five years. See Also : Saudi Arabia takes legal action against 25 labor recruitment offices on violations
