Shehbaz Sharif Returns As Pakistan Prime Minister

After days of uncertainty and deliberations, Shehbaz Sharif is returning as the Prime Minister for a second term, stepping into the role after his brother declined a fourth term. The 72-year-old leader won a parliamentary vote for the premiership, resuming the position he previously held until August when parliament was dissolved ahead of last month”s elections. Pakistan has been under a caretaker government since then.

Shehbaz Sharif”s return to power comes after he played a pivotal role in holding together a disparate coalition for 16 months following the ousting of rival Imran Khan. Despite his elder brother, Nawaz Sharif, winning a seat in the assembly and being favored for another term, he chose not to run a minority coalition government. This decision was conveyed by his daughter Maryam, who cited Nawaz Sharif”s preference for clear majorities, which he had enjoyed in his previous three stints as prime minister.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, led by the Sharif brothers, secured only 80 of the 264 contested seats in the elections. However, with the support of other parties, they were able to command a majority and nominate Shehbaz Sharif for the prime ministership.

The PML-N, which is led by former Prime Minister Nawaz sharif, has received the support of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which is led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, to lead a coalition government after the election of February 8, ended up in a hung parliament.

As per the constitution, out of the 265 contested seats, a party should earn 133 seats to form a government. When PTI won 93 seats, PML-N won 75 and PPP won 54. The Muttahida Quami Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) has won 17 seats.

The PML-N and PPP decided to form an ally with four other smaller parties to keep Imran Khan’s PTI out of question.