Shehbaz Sharif elected as prime minister for second term in Pakistan

Shehbaz Sharif has been elected for another term as prime minister by lawmakers in Pakistan’s National Assembly. This decision prompted protests from parliamentary allies of imprisoned former premier Imran Khan, who alleged rigging in the election held last month. Sharif, the younger brother of three-time premier Nawaz Sharif, previously held the same office from April 2022 to August 2023. Imran Khan, currently serving prison terms and barred from seeking or holding office, was replaced by Shehbaz Sharif after a no-confidence vote in April 2022.

Sharif was elected with 201 votes

Speaker Ayaz Sadiq announced that Sharif secured 201 votes, defeating Omar Ayub of the Sunni Ittehad Council, who received 92 votes. The winning candidate needed 169 votes for a majority. Omar Ayub, supported by Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI), was unable to secure enough seats to form a government independently. The PTI declined negotiations with rivals to form a coalition.

After days of negotiations, Shehbaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League party and its supporters formed an alliance following the February 8 election. The election was marked by militant violence, a nationwide mobile phone shutdown, Imran Khan’s exclusion from the vote, and an unusual delay in announcing the result. Authorities justified the communication shutdown as a necessary measure to prevent attacks on candidates and security forces. Despite this explanation, Khan’s party criticized the delay, asserting that the election was manipulated to prevent them from obtaining a majority. The party claims to possess evidence supporting their contention that their victory was “stolen during the vote count,” a claim denied by the Election Commission.

During his acceptance speech in parliament on Sunday, Sharif addressed the past political victimization without explicitly naming Khan. He mentioned that the previous ruler, without specifying Khan, had incarcerated many political rivals, including himself and ally Asif Ali Zardari. Sharif accused Khan’s supporters of attacking military installations during protests in 2022 and stated that parliament and the courts would determine whether those involved in the attacks deserved a pardon.

Sharif faced protests during his acceptance speech

Some lawmakers, holding portraits of Khan, protested in front of Sharif during his speech, shouting accusations of “vote thief” and “shame.” Sharif condemned their actions, describing them as causing chaos in parliament, and urged them to present their evidence of vote rigging to relevant authorities.

Despite offering reconciliation to the opposition and suggesting collaboration for the betterment of Pakistan, Sharif faced further protests and shouts. He also expressed the intention to mend relations with the United States, acknowledging the strained ties after Khan accused the US, Sharif, and the Pakistani military of conspiring against him following his ouster.

Following his loss to Sharif, Ayub addressed the parliament, praising Khan for his courage in the face of legal challenges. He condemned the arrest of “thousands of Khan’s supporters” in the previous year and reiterated accusations of vote rigging, calling for an investigation into last month’s election. Ayub claimed that PTI votes were manipulated and “votes were stolen” to prevent Khan’s party from forming a government.

Ayub acknowledged that Sharif may rule the country but asserted that he cannot win the hearts and minds of the people because he came to power through an allegedly rigged vote.

For Sharif, the economy is the biggest challenge

Sharif identified the economic situation as his most significant challenge, citing Pakistan’s reliance on foreign loans to sustain the economy. His government grapples with various issues, including responding to a surge in militant attacks, improving relations with Taliban-run Afghanistan, addressing crumbling infrastructure, resolving year-round power outages, and maintaining political stability amid continued protests by Khan’s party against alleged vote rigging.

In a recent development, Khan wrote a letter to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), urging it to link discussions with Islamabad to an audit of the February election. Sharif criticized Khan’s move in his speech, and this comes just before the IMF releases a crucial instalment of a bailout loan to Pakistan. The country relies on bailouts to bolster foreign exchange reserves and avoid default, with the IMF or China providing billions of dollars in financing. Sharif, in his previous term as prime minister, faced challenges in securing a $3 billion bailout from the IMF, and he has announced plans to seek a new bailout after the current one expires at the end of March.