Shehbaz Sharif elected as 24th Prime Minister of Pakistan

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif has been elected the 24th prime minister of Pakistan, according to National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.

Shehbaz received 201 votes while Omer Ayub Khan, premier candidate of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), received 92 votes.

In his victory speech following his election, Shehbaz Sharif expressed gratitude to his older brother Nawaz Sharif, and all of his friends for having faith in him and selecting him to serve as the nation’s 24th prime minister.

“The developments that occurred in the country after my quaid was elected prime minister three times are illustrative of their own,” he said.

The newly elected prime minister Shehbaz Sharif claimed that his older brother has never considered posing a threat to the country.

“This is the difference between this leadership and that leadership,” he said, adding that the “entire assembly is witness to the fact that we never thought of the politics of revenge”.

Shehbaz stated that while Pakistan faced great obstacles, they could be overcome.

“Salaries are being paid with debt,” he stated.

He asserted that Pakistan can prosper provided “deep surgery and fundamental reforms are implemented”.

Furthermore, Shehbaz asserted that it is accurate to claim that Nawaz Sharif is the one who built Pakistan.

The newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the PML-N and allies will do their part to help Pakistan escape its current predicament.

“Talented people are sitting in this Parliament who can steer Pakistan’s ship to the shore,” he said.

Earlier, a ruckus was created by members of the SIC chanting slogans at the start of the session

The nomination papers of Shehbaz Sharif, the joint candidate of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party, and Sunni Ittehad Council’s Umar Ayub Khan were accepted on Saturday.

Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq approved the nomination papers of both candidates after a thorough scrutiny.

Earlier this week, the National Assembly Secretariat issued the election schedule for the election of the PM, according to which the prime minister will be elected on Sunday, March 3.

The prime minister is elected by members of the National Assembly in accordance with the Second Schedule of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007.

According to Rule 32 of the National Assembly, “Election of the Prime Minister: - (1) After the election of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker following a general election or whenever the office of the Prime Minister falls vacant for any reason, the Assembly shall, to the exclusion of many other business, proceed to elect without debate one of its Muslim members to be the Prime Minster.”