Shahbaz Sharif Elected Pakistan’s 24th Prime Minister

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples’ Party’s (PPP) candidate Shahbaz Sharif emerged victorious as the 24th Prime Minister of Pakistan, defeating Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) allied candidate Omar Ayub from the Sunni Ittehad Council.

With a National Assembly comprising 336 members, the victory threshold was set at 169 votes. Shahbaz Sharif clinched 201 votes, securing a decisive win over Omar Ayub, who garnered 92 votes.

The 16th National Assembly convened at noon, albeit with a one-hour delay, under the supervision of Speaker Ayaz Sadiq. However, the session witnessed moments of drama as members of the Sunni Ittehad Council staged protests and chants in front of the speaker’s podium, while PML-N representatives rallied behind slogans of “Ghari Chor“.

The voting process unfolded smoothly, with members allocated specific lobbies corresponding to their preferred candidate. Supporters of Shahbaz Sharif congregated in lobby ‘A’, while backers of Omar Ayub gathered in lobby ‘B’.