Shehbaz Sharif, President of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), clinched victory for the second time, securing 201 votes to become the country’s 24th Prime Minister.
National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq officially announced the results in a historic session of the National Assembly on Sunday.
Supported by seven other political parties, including 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), Shehbaz Sharif’s victory was widely anticipated.
Meanwhile, Omar Ayub received only 92 votes amid protests by SIC lawmakers.
Upon securing the premiership, Shehbaz Sharif, flanked by party leaders, expressed gratitude to PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif for the nomination and thanked his coalition partners for their support.
In his maiden speech as Prime Minister, he reflected on the nation’s political history, lamenting the “judicial murder” of PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and honoring Benazir Bhutto for her sacrifice in the name of democracy.
Taking a subtle swipe at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) without mentioning names, Shehbaz Sharif criticized the opposition for allegedly pursuing politics of vengeance and levelling serious allegations against the armed forces.
Drawing attention to the May 9 riots triggered by the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan, he highlighted the need for responsible leadership.
In outlining his government’s agenda, Shehbaz Sharif emphasized the importance of unity across all segments of society to address the nation’s challenges. Tackling the economic crisis head-on, he pointed out the Rs12,300 billion generated by the country, with Rs7,300 billion allocated to provinces under the NFC award, leaving a staggering Rs7,000 billion deficit due to service charges.
He questioned the feasibility of funding development, health, education sectors, and meeting government employees’ salaries for the armed forces without accumulating significant debt.
“This is the biggest challenge faced by the country today,” Shehbaz Sharif declared, underlining the urgent need for comprehensive economic reforms.
