PAKISTAN’S PARLIAMENT TO MEET ON MONDAY TO ELECT A NEW PM

Sun 10 April 2022:

Following Imran Khan’s ouster in a no-confidence vote, Pakistan’s parliament will elect a new prime minister on Monday.

Shehbaz Sharif, the younger brother of three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, is the allied opposition’s joint candidate.

The 70-year-old played a key role in the opposition’s attempt to destabilize Khan’s government.

He previously served as the chief minister of the crucial Punjab province, where he earned a reputation for being a capable administrator.

Sharif has called for improving ties with the US, terming them critical for Pakistan, a noticeable departure from Khan’s frosty views regarding Washington, whom he accused of orchestrating his ouster.

Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has nominated ex-Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi for the premier’s post.

Qureshi, who is vice chairman of the PTI, was a prominent figure in Khan’s government, leading Islamabad’s efforts to carve out its own space in rapidly changing regional and global geopolitics.

Either candidate needs to get a minimum of 172 votes in the 342-member National Assembly, the lower house of Pakistan’s parliament.

The opposition alliance that ousted Khan with 174 votes just after Saturday midnight claims to have the support of 176 parliamentarians, along with some 20 PTI dissidents.

The PTI and its remaining allies have 142 votes, excluding the 20 dissidents, making victory for Sharif a near certainty.

he military viewed Khan and his conservative agenda favorably when he won election in 2018, but that support waned after a falling-out over the appointment of the influential military intelligence chief and economic troubles that led to the largest interest rate rise in decades this week.

Khan had antagonized the United States throughout his tenure, welcoming the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan last year and more recently accusing the United States of being behind the attempt to oust him. Washington dismissed the accusation.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

TWITTER (CLICK HERE)
https://twitter.com/IpIndependent