Shehbaz Sharif elected Pakistan PM amid PTI boycott
Shehbaz Sharif, president of PML-N, has been elected the 23rd prime minister of Pakistan after lawmakers of Imran Khan's PTI announced their resignations from the lower house of parliament boycotting the election, leaving the field open for the opposition.
A total of 174 lawmakers voted in favour of Shehbaz on Monday after PTI lawmakers walked out with Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who was the party's candidate for the top slot, reports Dawn and The Express Tribune.
PML-N's Ayaz Sadiq presided over the session after Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri said his conscience did not allow him to conduct the session.
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Following the election, Shehbaz announced several policy measures he intended to take as the prime minister with a particular focus on the economy and foreign relations.
Shehbaz unveiled a raft of populist measures and pushed for the speedy development of a key project under Chinese President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative in his first policy speech after getting elected, reports Bloomberg.
Sharif, who has a reputation as a business-friendly administrator, said he wanted to turn Pakistan into a "paradise" for investments to shore up an economy that has come under pressure with declining foreign exchange reserves and a weaker rupee, added the report.
The PML-N chief, a nominee of the joint opposition parties, received 174 votes for the top post days after PTI chief Imran Khan was ousted via a no-trust vote by the opposition parties.
Though the opposition alliance had the support of PTI dissident members, they did not cast votes and stayed in the opposition's lobbies.
Shehbaz was also the candidate for the premiership in 2018 when Imran was elected as the PM with 176 votes. He had received 96 votes at the time.
On Monday the PTI lawmakers left the house while shouting slogans against the opposition parties' leadership as well as the United States of America even before the voting began and the process of transition of power could be completed.
After the PTI lawmakers left the hall announcing resignations, Ayaz Sadiq started the voting process for the election of the chief minister. Ayaz also mistakenly pronounced Shehbaz Sharif as Nawaz Sharif. He then apologised to Shehbaz, saying he had "made the mistake because Nawaz was in his heart and mind".
In his speech, PM-elect Shehbaz congratulated the Supreme Court of Pakistan for declaring the deputy speaker's ruling unconstitutional and "burying the doctrine of necessity forever".
Though the opposition parties have the support of the dissident members of PTI, they didn't cast votes on Monday but stayed in the opposition's lobbies.
