NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s Parliament has backed 72-year-old Shehbaz Sharif as their 24th Prime Minister. This will be Shehbaz’s second term as Prime Minister, amidst protests from supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Sharif first served as prime minister in 2022 at the head of a strikingly similar alliance which ousted Imran Khan, a former cricket star.
He takes oath of office on Monday.
Shehbaz Sharif secured 201 votes out of 336 in a vote of confidence on Sunday. The Sharif family's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party allied with their historic rivals the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), as well as several smaller factions, to keep Khan's candidates out. The opposition led by Ayub Khan managed 92 votes.
Speaking in Parliament after the vote, Shehbaz Sharif brought up Kashmir in his speech, without naming India, and said the Parliament should pass a resolution for the freedom of Kashmiris. He also talked about the atrocities against Palestinians in Gaza for which he urged the international community to take note.
He also spoke about countering terrorism, adding that he would maintain cordial relations with neighbours based on the principles of equality. Additionally, he spoke about extending free visas to brotherly countries. Trying to sound optimistic, he said that Pakistan could become a G20 member by 2030.
Sharif, who was the prime minister till the Parliament was dissolved in August 2023, takes charge at a time when Pakistan is deep in debt and where even the expenses of running the Parliament are paid through borrowed money, he said.
The country was facing challenges because of its weak economy, he said, and promised to put the country on the path of development. His job was difficult but not impossible, he added.
Stating that Pakistan would build a strong economy for the future, Sharif vowed to promote the upgraded version of CPEC projects and build a deeper relationship with China, an all-weather Pakistan ally. "We would like to extend CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor). Saudi Arabia has been our friend and this pre-dates the formation of Pakistan. Qatar, Turkey, UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait are friends," he said.
Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jingping and Premier Ki Qiang extended congratulatory messages to PM Sharif.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, Pakistan dismissed the US’s suggestion of a probe on electoral discrepencies. "We believe in our own sovereign right to make decisions about Pakistan's internal affairs,’’ said Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson.
Baloch’s response was to US State Department’s spokesperson Mathew Miller's suggestion that claims of interference or fraud should be fully and transparently investigated in accordance with Pakistan's own laws and procedures.
