Shehbaz Sharif is the brand new Prime Minister of Pakistan. Imran Khan’s allies in parliament protest over manipulation

World Courant

ISLAMABAD — Lawmakers in Pakistan’s Nationwide Meeting on Sunday elected Shehbaz Sharif because the nation’s new prime minister for the second time, after allies of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan shouted in parliament in protest in opposition to his appointment for rigging final month’s elections.

Speaker Ayaz Sadiq stated Sharif gained 201 votes, defeating Omar Ayub of the Sunni Ittehad council, who acquired 92 votes. The winner wants solely 169 votes to achieve a majority.

Ayub loved the help of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf occasion, or PTI, whose candidates couldn’t win sufficient seats to type a authorities on their very own. The PTI refused to carry talks with its rivals to type a coalition.

After days of negotiations, Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League occasion and his supporters fashioned an alliance following the February 8 election, which was overshadowed by militant violence, a nationwide cell phone shutdown, Khan’s exclusion from the vote and an uncommon delay in voting. saying the outcomes. .

Authorities stated the lower of communications was mandatory to stop assaults on candidates and safety forces.

Nevertheless, the delay drew criticism from Khan’s occasion, which insists the vote was rigged to stop it from gaining a majority. The occasion claims it has proof that its victory was “stolen throughout vote counting,” an accusation the election fee denies.

Sharif stated in his acceptance speech in parliament on Sunday: “We’ve got been subjected to political victimization up to now, however have by no means taken revenge.” With out mentioning Khan by identify, he stated the earlier ruler had jailed many political rivals, together with himself and his ally Asif Ali Zardari.

He additionally accused Khan’s supporters of attacking army installations after his ouster in 2022, including that parliament and the courts will now determine whether or not these concerned in attacking the army installations deserved pardon.

Holding portraits of Khan, lawmakers stood earlier than Sharif as he started his speech, shouting “vote stealer” and “disgrace.” Sharif denounced their actions, saying they have been inflicting chaos in parliament. He additionally stated they need to submit their proof of election fraud to the related authorities.

Sharif then addressed the opposition and stated: “I give you reconciliation. Allow us to come collectively to work for the betterment of Pakistan.” However he was greeted with extra protests and shouts.

The Prime Minister additionally spoke about restoring ties with the USA. Relations between the 2 international locations have been tense after Khan accused the US, Sharif and the Pakistani army of conspiring to maintain him out of workplace following his ouster.

Sharif additionally stated his greatest problem was the financial state of affairs. Pakistan depends on overseas loans to maintain its economic system afloat. His authorities additionally faces a number of issues, together with how to reply to a wave of militant assaults, enhance relations with neighboring Taliban-run Afghanistan, restore crumbling infrastructure and resolve year-round energy outages. It should additionally keep political stability as Khan’s occasion has vowed to proceed protests in opposition to alleged vote fraud.

Khan, who’s at present serving jail phrases in a number of circumstances and is barred from holding or holding workplace, wrote a letter to the Worldwide Financial Fund final week urging the Worldwide Financial Fund to hyperlink any talks with Islamabad to an audit of the elections in February. Khan’s transfer comes days earlier than the IMF releases a significant tranche of a bailout mortgage to Pakistan.

Pakistan is counting on bailouts to take care of its overseas alternate reserves and keep away from defaults, with the IMF and rich allies akin to China and Saudi Arabia financing the nation to the tune of billions of {dollars}. Below his earlier time period as prime minister, Sharif – who changed Khan after his ouster in a no-confidence vote in parliament in April 2022 – needed to battle for months to safe a $3 billion bailout package deal from the IMF.

Sharif has stated he’ll search one other IMF bailout after the tip of March, when the present one expires.

He might be sworn in as Prime Minister on Monday.

Shehbaz Sharif is the brand new Prime Minister of Pakistan. Imran Khan’s allies in parliament protest over manipulation

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