Pakistan: Shehbaz Sharif the prime minister a second time

Pledging to revive Pakistan's debt-trapped economy and eradicate terrorism, newly elected prime minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday, 3 March, said his government would not allow the country to become part of some "great game" and would maintain cordial relations with neighbours based on the principles of equality.

In his victory speech in the National Assembly soon after he was elected as the 24th prime minister (his second time in the role since 2022), the 72-year-old profusely thanked his elder brother and three-time former premier Nawaz Sharif and allies for putting their trust in him and allowing him to head a coalition government after last month's election resulted in a hung parliament.

While Shehbaz secured 201 votes, his challenger Omar Ayub Khan of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) got only 92 votes in the election held within the newly elected National Assembly.

Shehbaz Sharif take oath as Prime Minister of Pakistan today, 4 March, taking over the reins of the country for a second time since 2022, amidst staggering economic and security challenges.

President Arif Alvi administers the oath at the president's residence.

The oath-taking ceremony comes days after the Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz and the Pakistan Peoples Party agreed on a power-sharing deal to form a coalition government.

Shehbaz, 72, earlier served as prime minister of a coalition government from April 2022 to August 2023, before Parliament was dissolved to hold general elections last month.

Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir, caretaker prime minister Anwarul Haq Kakar, and chief ministers and governors of all four provinces are expected to attend the oath-taking ceremony.

In the February 8 polls, marred by allegations of vote rigging, the Sharifs-led party failed to garner a clear majority, although technically it is the largest party, with 75 out of the 265 contested seats.

Shehbaz, known to be an astute politician and a good administrator, was tasked by his elder brother and former three-time prime minister to negotiate with other like-minded parties on the formation of a coalition government.

Besides the PPP, Shehbaz was backed by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM-P), Pakistan Muslim League (Q), Balochistan Awami Party, Pakistan Muslim League (Z), Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party and the National Party.