ISLAMABAD: Shehbaz Sharif on Monday was sworn is as the 23rd prime minister of Pakistan.
The newly-elected prime minister was administered the oath by Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjarani as President Arif Alvi complained of discomfort and went on a short leave. The ceremony was held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr and was attended by parliamentarians, services chiefs and senior officials.
Leaders of political parties, including Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Hamza Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Aleem Khan, Raja Zafarul Haq, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Maryam Nawaz, Yusuf Raza Gilani, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Akhtar Mengal, Mohsin Dawar, Khalid Siddiqui and Ahsan Iqbal, and senior officers also attended the oath taking ceremony.
As soon as the oath was over the hall echoed with slogans in support of the new prime minister. He is expected to remain in power until August 2023.
Shehbaz Sharif was elected as the premier after the ouster of PTI Chairman Imran Khan through a no-confidence motion. He secured 174 votes in the National Assembly and was elected as Leader of the House.
PTI’s candidate Shah Mahmood Qureshi received no votes as his party decided to boycott the polling process. The poll took place under the chairmanship of MNA Ayaz Sadiq, two days after the lower house of Parliament voted in favor of removing Imran Khan from office.
Shehbaz is the longest-serving chief minister of the Punjab province, having served on the post three times since he began his political career nearly four decades ago.
