ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif was sworn in as the country’s 23rd prime minister at Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad on Monday, in a landmark occasion for the nation.
Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani administered oath to Shehbaz in President Dr Arif Alvi’s absence, who went on ‘sick’ leave ahead of the PML-N president’s inauguration.
Major political leaders including PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and PML-N leaders Maryam Nawaz, Hamza Shehbaz, Ahsan Iqbal, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Rana Sanaullah among others were present in the oath-taking ceremony held at President House in the federal capital.
Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Nadeem Raza, naval chief, air chief and other senior military and civilian officials also attended the ceremony.
Earlier in the day, the National Assembly elected Shehbaz as the new prime minister of Pakistan after lawmakers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced their resignations from the lower house of parliament, leaving the field open for the opposition.
“Mian Shehbaz Sharif is declared as elected Prime Minister,” Ayaz Sadiq announced following the completion of the counting process.
The PML-N chief, a nominee of the joint opposition parties, received 174 votes for the top post days after PTI chief Imran Khan was ousted via a no-trust vote by the opposition parties.
Though the opposition alliance had the support of PTI’s dissident members, they did not the cast vote and stayed in the opposition’s lobbies.
Shehbaz was also the candidate for the premiership in 2018 when Imran was elected as the PM with 176 votes. He had received 96 votes at the time.
The PML-N’s rival for the post was PTI’s Shah Mehmood Qureshi; however, the former ruling party decided to quit the assembly at the eleventh hour citing allegations of imported regime change.
The PTI lawmakers had left the house while shouting slogans against the opposition parties’ leadership as well as the United States of America even before the voting began and the process of transition of power could be completed.
After the PTI lawmakers left the hall announcing resignations, Ayaz Sadiq started the voting process for the election of the chief minister. Ayaz also mistakenly pronounced Shehbaz Sharif as Nawaz Sharif. He then apologised to Shehbaz, saying he has “made the mistake because Nawaz was in his heart and mind”.
Following the announcement of Shehbaz as the country’s new premier, lawmakers started walking from the opposition benches to the treasury benches. However, with chairs empty on both sides of the aisle, many stayed where they were.
In his speech, PM-elect Shehbaz congratulated the Supreme Court of Pakistan for declaring the deputy speaker’s ruling unconstitutional and “burying the doctrine of necessity forever”.
Though the opposition parties have the support of the dissident members of PTI, they didn’t cast vote on Monday but stayed in the opposition’s lobbies.
Shehbaz said he would resign the second it is proven that the opposition had any link with the ‘foreign conspiracy’, saying soon an in-camera briefing would be arranged on the alleged threatening letter.
The prime minister-elect also shunned the allegations of treason against opposition parties, saying: “Dialogue should replace deadlock as change would not come merely through speeches”. He emphasised on bringing harmony for moving forward, especially, addressing the economic issues being faced by the country.
“Neither anyone was traitor nor anyone is traitor,” Shehbaz said, adding that it’s time to move ahead with unity instead of being divided.
PM-elect Shehbaz also said the PTI-led government left the country’s economy in tatters with current account deficit and other economic indicators “worsening”.
He announced raising the minimum wage to Rs25,000 and also announced a 10% hike in pensions of retired government employees. Government employees earning less than Rs100,000 would also be given a 10% raise, he added.
Responding to former PM Imran Khan’s ‘independent foreign policy’ claims, Premier-elect Shehbaz said former premier Nawaz Sharif did not say “absolutely rejected” to US when it pressured Pakistan to halt nuclear tests. “We respectfully rejected their [US] offer of $5 billion and made country’s defence invincible.”
The premier-designate said his government will work with provinces to provide relief to masses and reintroduce the Benazir Income Support programme which was introduced by the former PPP-led government at Centre.
The PM-designate referred to him as “Khadim-e-Pakistan” (chief servant of Pakistan), a title that is reminiscent of the designation “Khadim-e-Aala” that Shehbaz used to describe himself when he was a chief minister of Punjab.
Speaking about the country’s foreign policy, the PM-designate vowed to re-strengthen ties with Beijing, saying that his government will complete China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects at “Punjab speed”.
He accused his predecessor of damaging relations with China.
The PM-designate said Pakistan would also maintain cordial ties with Britain, European countries and the United States to boost the country’s exports.
The United Kingdom has also always supported democracy in Pakistan and also spent billions of pounds on education and others sectors in Pakistan. Whatever happens in London affects Pakistan and vice versa, he added.
“We have historic ties with the US… [bilateral] relations however have witnessed ups and downs, but it does not mean that we strain our ties with America but we have to maintain relations on equal footing,” he remarked.
PM-designate Shehbaz also offered Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold dialogue with Pakistan in a bid to end miseries of the people living on both sides of the border.
“Neighbours are not matter of choice, but something you have to live with. We want cordial ties with India but without the resolution of Kashmir dispute the ties cannot be improved,” he added.
“We [Pakistan] will continue to provide diplomatic and moral support to Kashmiris… I want to give an advice to [PM] Narendra Modi; come and resolve the issues through dialogue to end the poverty and miseries of the people living on both sides of the border.”
The PM-designate said the country’s economic strength is dependent on diplomacy.
He also highlighted the plight of Afghans, saying that the people of the neighbouring countries were in desperate need of basic necessities. “We have to speak in favour of millions of Muslims living in the neighbouring country and facing acute food and medicine shortages… if condition further deteriorates there will be massive exodus from [Afghanistan] to K-P.”
Earlier in the day, the session to elect a new premier commenced after the recitation of the Holy Quran. The session was chaired by the deputy speaker who gave reasons behind his earlier ruling to dismiss the no-trust vote against Imran, which was set aside by SC.
“The ruling was declared unconstitutional by the court and we all are obliged to respect the court. But I want to tell you the reason behind my ruling,” said Suri.
He added that the decision was taken “as a responsible Pakistani and deputy speaker of the NA”.
Suri then referred to the diplomatic communiqué and said that the cable was discussed during the meeting of the NSC, in the federal cabinet and a parliamentary committee meeting. He added that it was “proven” that the no-trust motion was linked to a foreign conspiracy.
“On April 9, it was it was decided during a cabinet meeting that the cable would be declassified and sent to then-NA speaker Asad Qaiser by the government.”
The deputy speaker further said that the speaker of the house reviewed the cable as well.
“Talking about an independent foreign policy, independent economy … and fighting the case of Islamophobia Imran Khan’s fault?”
“Was he [Imran] punished because he refused slavery?”
PTI senior leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi took the floor after the deputy speaker’s clarification on his earlier ruling.
As the former foreign minister concluded his speech, PTI and its allies stood up from their chairs and left the assembly hall amid sloganeering.
As Qureshi finished his speech, Sure said his “conscience no longer allows him to be a part of the proceedings” and gave the chair of the house to PML-N’s Ayaz Sadiq.
In a video message after the meeting of the PTI, the former information minister said PTI Chairman Imran Khan has decided that the PTI would not legitimise this ‘foreign-funded regime change’ in Pakistan by taking part in the election of the premier.
“The parliamentary meeting of the PTI gave Imran the complete authority to make decisions on the lawmakers’ behalf.”
Fawad said as per the directions of Imran, no PTI lawmaker will vote in the election for the PM and after that, the PTI MNAs will also send their resignations to the National Assembly speaker.
He acknowledged that there was a difference of opinion over the decision to resign en masse from the assembly but the parliamentary party gave Imran the authority to make this decision who decided in favour of resignations.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan said that there were two mega corruption cases against PML-N chief Shehbaz Sharif and it would be the “biggest insult to the country” to elect him as the prime minister of Pakistan.
Earlier in the day, PTI General Secretary Asad Umar in a letter told party lawmakers to vote for Shah Mehmood Qureshi else they will be considered defectors and disqualified under Article 63-A.
“I take this opportunity to convey to you that all members of parliamentary party are required to attend the session of National Assembly on April 11 for election Prime Minister of Pakistan and vote in favour Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who has been nominated as the candidate for prime minister,” Umar wrote.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi were likely to face off each other in the election for the new prime minister in the National Assembly.
The election for the prime minister or the leader of the house was triggered after the passage of the no-confidence motion moved by the opposition against then prime minister Imran Khan. The motion was passed after 174 National Assembly members voted in favour.
The joint opposition had fielded Shehbaz as its candidate for the post of prime minister, while the PTI had decided to field Qureshi, who served as the country’s foreign minister in Imran Khan’s cabinet. The winning candidate must get at least 172 votes in the 342-strong house.
Given the numbers shown by the joint opposition during the no-confidence motion indicated that Shehbaz, who was the opposition leader in the lower house of parliament, is likely to be elected as the next prime minister of the country.
The nomination papers for the post of prime minister were received and scrutinised by the National Assembly Secretariat on Sunday. Both Shehbaz and Qureshi filed their papers along with their respective party members of the National Assembly.
The deadline for submission of the nomination papers was 2 pm Sunday. The scrutiny process of the nomination papers began at 3 pm. Later, papers of both the candidates were found in order and accepted, which means that there will be a one-on-one contest in the lower house of parliament.
During the scrutiny process, Dr Babar Awan, former adviser to the prime minister on parliamentary affairs, raised objections over the nomination papers of Shehbaz. However, the objections were rejected by the National Assembly Secretariat.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Monday congratulated Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on becoming the 23rd premier of Pakistan.
Following the ouster of PTI chairman Imran Khan from the office of the prime minister, the Opposition’s joint candidate Shehbaz was elected as the premier — having secured 174 votes.
In his congratulatory message to Shehbaz on Twitter, PM Modi said: “Congratulations to H. E. Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on his election as the Prime Minister of Pakistan.”
“India desires peace and stability in a region free of terror so that we can focus on our development challenges and ensure the well-being and prosperity of our people,” he said.
Meanwhile, in a telephonic conversation with Shehbaz, Turkish President Erdogan told the newly-elected prime minister that he was “extremely happy” about him being elected as the premier.
“I am sure that under your leadership, Pakistan-Turkey’s brotherly ties will bolster,” said Erdogan, who called Shehbaz hours after the lower house of the Parliament elected him.
In response, Shehbaz said he aspired to bring both the countries closer during his tenure as the prime minister and thanked Erdogan for his congratulatory telephonic call.
In his inaugural speech right after the NA elected him, Shehbaz lamented that despite them wanting peaceful ties with India, they know that until the Kashmir issue is resolved, relations between the two cannot be strengthened.
Urging Indian premier Narendra Modi to understand the issues of the people living on both sides, he questioned there is poverty, unemployment, medical issues, etc. then “why are we harming ourselves and the generations to come?”
He said Modi should come forward and resolve the Kashmir issue according to the will of the Kashmiris and reiterated that his government will continue to raise its voice for the people of Kashmir.
