Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday congratulated Shehbaz Sharif on becoming Pakistan’s new Prime Minister. Shehbaz, the candidate of a six-party coalition led his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), was administered oath as Pakistan’s twenty fourth Prime Minister by President Arif Alvi on Monday.
“Congratulations to @CMShehbaz on being sworn in as the Prime Minister of Pakistan,” PM Modi wrote on X.
Shehbaz was administered the oath within the presence of his elder brother Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and different PML-N staff. PPP’s Murad Ali Shah and Sarfaraz Bugti have been additionally in attendance. He was tasked by the PML-N supremo to barter with different like-minded events on the formation of a coalition authorities. Besides the PPP, Shehbaz was backed by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM-P), Pakistan Muslim League (Q), Balochistan Awami Party, Pakistan Muslim League (Z), Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party and the National Party.
Shehbaz takes the reins of Pakistan at a time when the nation is dealing with perils on a number of fronts, notably a cash-strapped economic system coupled with administrative crises. During his first tenure as PM following the ouster of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan in 2022, inflation touched a excessive of 38 per cent with a document depreciation of the rupee forex, primarily on account of structural reforms necessitated by the IMF programme to stabilise the nation’s economic system.
Shehbaz grew to become the chief of the PML-N after his elder brother was discovered responsible in 2017 on fees of concealing property associated to the Panama Papers revelations and subsequently convicted in different circumstances and disqualified from holding workplace. He has a fame in Pakistan for being an astute politician and administrator. Shehbaz as served as Chief Minister thrice in Punjab province and is credited for ending much-needed infrastructural initiatives in Pakistan’s most populous province.
The street to becoming Pakistan PM
The PML-N President was elected as Prime Minister on Sunday (March 3) as he secured 201 votes, introduced newly-elected National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq. Omar Ayub Khan, the candidate for Imran’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secured 92 votes. The Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) occasion backed by Khan alleges that the nationwide election was rigged in opposition to them and has referred to as for an audit of the polls. No single occasion gained a majority.
Candidates backed by Imran Khan gained essentially the most seats however the PML-N and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) agreed to kind a coalition authorities with MQM-P and different events, which enabled Shehbaz Sharif to be elected as prime minister as his brother stepped apart. To win the competition, Shehbaz wanted to win 169 votes within the 336-member home.
As Shehbaz was sworn in because the Prime Minister, the declaration was additionally met with loud protests from the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) occasion backed by Imran Khan. The lawmakers referred to as for Khan’s launch and shouted slogans alleging Shehbaz had come to energy by electoral rigging.
Pakistan’s main issues
Pakistan continues to be enmeshed in an financial disaster with inflation remaining excessive, hovering round 30 per cent, and financial progress slowing to round 2 per cent. Shehbaz’s fundamental function on this space can be to take care of ties with the army, which has instantly or not directly dominated Pakistan since independence.
He can be tasked with the essential accountability to emulate his feat of securing a short-term IMF bailout with the present programme expiring next month and a brand new prolonged deal wanted to maintain Pakistan on a slender path to restoration. The youthful Sharif is taken into account extra acceptable and compliant by the Army generals as in comparison with his elder brother, who has had a rocky relationship with the army.
Although defence and key international coverage choices are largely influenced by the army, Sharif must juggle relations with the US and China, each main allies. He can be confronted with coping with fraying ties with three of Pakistan’s 4 neighbours, India, Iran and Afghanistan.
(with inputs from companies)
