Shehbaz Sharif Elected to Become Pakistan's Prime Minister For the Second Time

Islamabad – Pakistan Muslim Leader Shahbaz Sharif was elected as the next Prime Minister of Pakistan by the country's newly elected national assembly. The veteran politician became the 24th Prime Minister of the country in a session of the National Assembly which was hit by ruckus and disruption created by the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC). Sharif was elected on Sunday with around 201 votes. Meanwhile, his main rival, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf's Omar Ayub obtained 92 votes. The result was announced by the newly elected NA speaker Ayaz Sadiq. The speaker then went on to invite him to sit in the prime minister's seat and invited him to address the house. 

Shehbaz's victory was inevitable since he managed to garner the support of seven other parties apart from the PML-N. The PM-Elect has the support of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), Pakistan Muslim League-Zia (PML-Z), Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) and National Party (NP). In his speech after winning the highly intense polls, Sharif who was surrounded by his party lawmakers thanked PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif for nominating him for the coveted post, and expressed gratitude to his allies including PPP and the MQM-P and others for supporting him.

Sharif Did Not Miss Out PTI in its victory speech 

Without taking any names Shehbaz took a jibe at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for harassing political opponents when it was in power, Geo News reported. “This is the difference between the [two] leaderships. The House is witness that the [PML-N] has never even thought of indulging in politics of vengeance," said PM-elect Shehbaz. Sharif also highlighted how the cash-strapped country is dependent on loans and called it the biggest challenge. “Where will the money come for development, health and education sectors? From where will the armed forces’ government employees’ salaries be paid?” All this is being afforded via loans throughout the years [...] This is the biggest challenge faced by the country today,” he noted.

He went on to vow that his team will be eliminating electricity tax theft. “Electricity and tax thefts are a matter of life and death for Pakistan […] and I want to say that God willing we will remove this cancer from its roots and make the country stand on its feet,” he said. “It is difficult […] it is a long and thorny journey full of hurdles, but countries that surmounted these challenges became one of the most going nations around the world," the newly elected premier furthered. According to Geo News, Caretaker PM Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar would welcome the new premier on his arrival at the Prime Minister’s House.