Pakistan (Commonwealth Union)_ Shehbaz Sharif took the oath as Pakistan’s 24th Prime Minister, marking his second tenure since 2022 amidst daunting economic and security challenges in the cash-strapped nation. Accordingly, President Arif Alvi officiated the ceremony at the Aiwan-i-Sadr, the presidential residence. This event follows a recent power-sharing agreement between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan People’s Party to establish a coalition government. Shehbaz had previously served as prime minister from April 2022 to August 2023, before the dissolution of Parliament for last month’s general elections.
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The ceremony witnessed the presence of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, and other members of the PML-N, along with PPP leader and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah. Shehbaz secured a comfortable majority in the newly-elected Parliament on Sunday amidst vocal opposition. He secured 201 votes in the 336-member Parliament, while his opponent, Omar Ayub Khan of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, received 92 votes. Despite allegations of vote rigging during the February 8 polls, the Sharifs-led party, technically the largest with 75 out of the 265 contested seats, failed to secure a clear majority.
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As the new leader, Shehbaz faces the daunting task of undertaking reforms to address the country’s economic challenges. Shehbaz Sharif was born in Lahore on September 23, 1951, and hails from a family that migrated from Amritsar, India, during the 1947 partition. He is a Bachelor of Arts degree graduate from Government College University, Lahore. His political career began in 1988, when he won a seat in the Provincial Assembly of Punjab. Rising through the ranks, he assumed various roles, including Chief Minister of Punjab for three terms, making him the province’s longest-serving Chief Minister. Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership role in the PML-N expanded in 2017 after his brother, Nawaz Sharif, was disqualified from holding office by the Supreme Court. In 2021, he assumed the role of Prime Minister after the PDM coalition ousted Imran Khan through a no-confidence motion. However, in 2023, he stepped down from his government three days before the end of the parliamentary term, leading to a caretaker administration and a delay in elections. Following the general elections in February 2024, Shehbaz once again assumed the position of Prime Minister of Pakistan in March 2024, marking a significant phase in his extensive political career.
