Pakistan LIVE: Shehbaz Sharif elected new PM, mentions Kashmir in national assembly speech

Congratulations to H. E. Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on his election as the Prime Minister of Pakistan. India desires peace and stability in a region free of terror, so that we can focus on our development challenges and ensure the well-being and prosperity of our people, said PM Modi.

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif has been elected Prime Minister of Pakistan with 174 votes. A notification for the same has been issued.

Pakistan Muslim League (N) chief Shehbaz Sharif took oath as the newly-elected Prime Minister of Pakistan. Senate chairman administered oath to Shehbaz Sharif.

"I'll advise PM Modi to understand that there is poverty on both sides. I call upon Modi to come and resolve the Jammu and Kashmir issue and then let's fight poverty together," said Shehbaz Sharif in maiden national assembly address after being elected as new Pakistan PM.

Speaking during his first address after being elected as new Pak PM, Shehbaz Sharif said, "We want good ties with India but it cannot happen without a peaceful resolution to the Kashmir question. We will raise the issue of Kashmir on every international platform."

Addressing the national assembly for the first time after being elected as new PM, Shehbaz Sharif said that he will resign and go home if conspiracy is proved in letter controversy.

Democracy is gaining roots in Pakistan and political stability in the neighbourhood is good for us, said PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Pak political developments.

Today, the almighty has saved Pakistan and the 22 crore people of the country. This is the first time when the vote of no-confidence motion was successfully passed. The people of this country will celebrate this day, said newly elected Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's prime minister candidate Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday announced that his party will boycott the voting to elect new premier in Parliament minutes after the National Assembly's crucial session began to elect Imran Khan's successor. Taking the floor, former foreign minister Qureshi said that the nation has two paths - one path is of self-respect while the other one is of slavery.

A Pakistani court on Monday deferred until April 27 the indictment of joint Opposition's prime ministerial candidate Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz in a high-profile money laundering case and also extended their pre-arrest bail till the same day, allowing the PML-N president to become the new prime minister.

A top Pakistani court here on Monday dismissed a petition to register a treason case against former prime minister Imran Khan and various ministers, saying it was inadmissible. Chief Justice Athar Minallah of the Islamabad High Court delivered a reserved verdict during which he also fined the petitioner Maulvi Iqbal Haider Rs100,000, the Express Tribune newspaper reported.

Pakistan Leader of Opposition (LoP) Shehbaz Sharif has been elected as new Prime Minister unopposed after Imran Khan's PTI members walked out of the assembly. He is likely to take oath as new PM tonight.

"We won’t legitimate a government which is brought by foreign intervention. We are boycotting and announcing our resignation from NA," said Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

After the boycott of Shah Mehmood Qureshi and his resignation from the National Assembly, Shehbaz Sharif was elected unopposed. The Speaker will announce the decision shortly.

The National Assembly session for the election of the new Prime Minister of Pakistan has begun. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif is the joint opposition candidate for the top post.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi was also in the fray for the prime ministerial post with his nomination papers approved on Sunday.

However, ahead of the session, PTI members of the National Assembly walked out of the national assembly after resigning en masse led by Prime Minister Imran Khan, effectively putting an end to the contention of Qureshi.

Pakistan Latest developments:

• National Assembly to elect new PM
• PTI to resign en masse, boycott PM election
• Court throws out petition urging probe of US cable
• By-polls in case of mass resignations, PML-N 
• Ex-PM aides added to no-fly list

After ousted Pakistan PM Imran Khan said PTI members will resign from the National Assembly ahead of the election of the new prime minister, the first few resginations of PTI's lawmakers have started to surface.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmakers to resign from National Assembly and fight for freedom, says Imran Khan's aide Fawad Chaudhry, reported PTI.

"We are resigning," says ousted PM Imran Khan's source.

Men, women and children all took part in rallies held in dozens of cities, decked in red and green and chanting slogans against the new government set to take charge.

A top Pakistani court here on Monday dismissed a petition to register a treason case against former prime minister Imran Khan and various ministers, saying it was inadmissible. Chief Justice Athar Minallah of the Islamabad High Court delivered a reserved verdict during which he also fined the petitioner Maulvi Iqbal Haider Rs100,000, the Express Tribune newspaper reported.

Ahead of the National Assembly session for the election of the new Prime Minister, a meeting of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) parliamentary party is underway at the Parliament House in Islamabad, reported Radio Pakistan.

Taliban has issued a statement saying the political crisis in Pakistan seeing a constant soar, will have no effect on Afghanistan. However, analysts predict an impact is inevitable on Afghanistan's situation due to changes in Pakistan's administration.

As the Pakistan National Assembly (NA) convenes on Monday to elect a new Prime Ministter after PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi their nomination papers, the PTI seems divided over its erstwhile decision of en masse resignations by its lawmakers.

The names of six key aides of ousted prime minister Imran Khan have been put on a stop list by Pakistan's top investigation agency to prevent them from leaving the country, according to a media report on Monday. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) placed the names of the six on the ‘stop list' on Sunday after Khan's ouster as prime minister by the joint Opposition through a no-confidence vote, Geo News reported, citing sources. Being on the list bars them from travelling abroad without permission. Khan's former principal secretary Azam Khan, ex-special assistant on political communication Shahbaz Gill, ex-adviser on interior and accountability Shahzad Akbar, Director-General Punjab Gohar Nafees, and DG Federal Investigation Agency Punjab Zone Mohammad Rizwan's names have been added to the list, the report said. Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's head of social media Arsalan Khalid's name has also been added to the list. The FIA introduced a system of ‘stop list’ in 2003 to stop unwanted people from trying to leave the country in the shortest possible time as placing someone’s name on the Exit Control List (ECL) takes a long time.

Deposed Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif is expected to return from London next month after Eid, a senior PML-N leader has said, amid a whirlwind of political developments that have embroiled the country following Imran Khan’s ignominious ouster from power. Mian Javed Latif said a decision on PML-N supremo and the three-time prime minister Sharif’s anticipated return will be discussed with the coalition partners. 

Former Pakistan Foreign Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that the party will take the final decision regarding the resignations of its members from the assemblies on Monday, reported local media.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to launch a countrywide protest campaign on April 13 against the removal of its government and the formation of the new administration which is most likely to be headed by Pakistan Muslim League-N President Shehbaz Sharif.

Pakistan's Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif is likely to be elected the new prime minister of Pakistan today after the ouster of Imran Khan through a no-confidence vote by the joint Opposition. Pakistan's National Assembly will convene to elect a prime minister on Monday. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president Sharif, 70, and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) vice-chairman and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday filed their nomination papers for the post. The process of electing the new leader of the house began on Sunday after Khan was removed from office through a no-confidence vote, becoming the first premier in the country's history to be sent home after losing the trust of the House. The Opposition had mustered 174 votes to oust Khan. If they can repeat it on Monday, Sharif will be the next prime minister of Pakistan. Meanwhile, the Cabinet division on Sunday de-notified 52 members of the federal Cabinet after the historic vote of no-confidence by the joint Opposition.

Imran Khan has thanked his supporters for their participation in rallies held across Pakistan and abroad to protest against his ouster as prime minister and the formation of a "US-backed regime" in Islamabad. Protest rallies were held in different Pakistani cities after 9 pm on Sunday and continued for several hours on the call of Khan. 

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Ali Muhammad Khan on Sunday claimed that 95 per cent of the Parliament from PTI are against resigning from the assembly.

Massive protests were staged across major cities of Pakistan against the ouster of former Prime Minister Imran Khan through a vote of no-confidence called by the country's opposition. The protests on Sunday night took place from about 9.30 p.m. in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Malakand, Multan, Khanewal, Khyber, Jhang, Quetta, Okara, Abbottabad , Bajaur, Lower Dir, Shangla, Kohistan, Mansehra, Swat, Gujrat, Faisalabad, Nowshera, Dera Ghazi Khan and Mandi Bahauddin, reports Dawn news.

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit Parliament House today to chair Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentary party session. 

The National Assembly of Pakistan will elect a new Prime Minister today; house to meet at 2 pm for the same. It has accepted the nomination papers of President PML-N Shehbaz Sharif and Vice Chairman PTI Shah Mahmood Qureshi for the slot. 

Imran Khan is expected to go back on the streets and reach out to the masses, who, he claims, are the rightful deciders of the country's future. Read more 

'Chowkidar chor hai' slogans were heard at a rally addressed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Sheikh Rashid Ahmed in Punjab province of Pakistan. According to the reports, the rally was being addressed against Imran Khan's ouster as the prime minister of Pakistan, which was attended by thousands at Lal Haveli in Pakistan's Punjab province. Raising slogans, the crowds referred to the army as "Chowkidar" and called them "thieves" which was "stealing" Imran Khan's mandate. Read more