Pakistan's parliament elected Mr. Sharif as prime minister for a second term today, about three weeks after last month's election, according to Reuters.
"Mr. Shehbaz Sharif has been elected as the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan," said Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan Ayaz Sadiq.
The voting results showed that Mr. Sharif received 201 votes out of 336 votes in the parliament, exceeding the minimum number of 169 votes to officially become the new Prime Minister of Pakistan. Mr. Sharif's opponent, Mr. Omar Ayub (who was backed by former Prime Minister Imran Khan), only won 92 votes.
Shehbaz Sharif elected Prime Minister of Pakistan
Shehbaz Sharif, 72, served as prime minister for his first term until last August when Pakistan's parliament was dissolved for general elections. A caretaker government has been in place since then. He is also the younger brother of three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
The South Asian country held a general election on February 8, but the results were delayed due to allegations of fraud. No party won more than half the seats needed to form a government. However, two major parties, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), decided to form a coalition government and elected Shehbaz Sharif as prime minister.
During his previous term, Shehbaz Sharif’s government negotiated a landmark deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but the disbursement process has been fraught with challenges. The deal expires in April this year. Against this backdrop, the new administration will have to immediately begin negotiations with the IMF on a follow-up deal to shore up the country’s economy while addressing growing discontent over poverty.
In addition, the Shehbaz Sharif administration also faces ongoing challenges from supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
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