On Sunday, Shehbaz Sharif was elected as the PM of Pakistan for a second tenure following the controversial election held last month. In his maiden address, Sharif called upon the National Assembly to pass a resolution for the freedom of Kashmiris.
Second Tenure as PM
The 72-year-old PM will lead a coalition government of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) as he takes over as the 24th prime minister of the country. He received 201 out of the 336 votes in the National Assembly. Meanwhile, Omar Ayub Khan, supported by Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), managed to win 92 votes.
#Pakistan’s newly elected PM #ShehbazSharif rakes up #Kashmir issuer, pledges to improve ties with all leading nations, including neighbours https://t.co/DS9ErOzPM9
— The Tribune (@thetribunechd) March 3, 2024
Although PTI won the largest number of seats in the disputed elections, Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s PPP formed a coalition government after the 8 February elections.
On 1 March, PML-N’s party leader, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, was elected speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly after securing 199 out of the 291 votes cast. Sadiq announced the election of Shehbaz Sharif, who has ascended to power amid a rapidly deteriorating democratic, economic and security situation in Pakistan.
The newly-elected PM thanked his brother, Nawaz, and his allies for making him the leader of the House. He will be administered the oath of office at the presidential mansion, Aiwan-e-Sadr, on 4 March.
Kashmir Issue Raised
In his maiden address, Sharif stirred the Kashmir issue and equated it with Palestine. He urged everybody to come together and asked the National Assembly to pass a resolution for the “freedom of Kashmiris and Palestinians.”
The PM also promised to strengthen Pakistan’s ties with all major countries “on the basis of equality,” including with his country’s neighbours. Calling China a “close partner,” and underlining the need to improve ties with the US, Sharif said that Pakistan would not become a part of any “great game.” Emphasising the brotherly ties with the UAE and Saudi Arabia, Sharif said that his government would increase the number of friends of Pakistan.
Debt Issue, Ruckus in Parliament
Highlighting the dire situation of Pakistan’s economy, Sharif said that the country was facing a budgetary deficit of more than one trillion rupees (~$3.5 billion). He said reforming the economy was the biggest challenge faced by Pakistan. Lamenting the debt crisis of the country, Sharif said that the National Assembly’s expenditures were being paid through borrowed money. Accordingly, he promised to make Pakistan self-sufficient.
During the National Assembly session on Sunday, PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) legislators created a ruckus in the parliament, alleging that Sharif came to power through electoral rigging. Referring to the suspension of mobile phone services amid the polls, long delays in the declaration of results, and alleging that several results were altered, PTI has blamed that the election commission for facilitating ‘poll fraud’ in the country.
Congratulatory Messages
Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated Sharif on his election, saying that under his leadership, the country will achieve new and greater accomplishments. Chinese Premier Li Qiang also sent congratulations to the PM.
#LeadStoryOnET | #Pakistan's newly-elected PM #ShehbazSharif rakes up #Kashmir issue; wants more friends https://t.co/0Hi0VL8xrs
— Economic Times (@EconomicTimes) March 4, 2024
Both Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi also congratulated Sharif seprarately.
Interestingly, Indian PM Narendra Modi, who had congratulated Sharif when he was elected in his previous term, has yet to send any congratulatory greeting.