Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday congratulated Shehbaz Sharif on becoming Pakistan's new Prime Minister. Shehbaz, the candidate of a six-party coalition led his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), was administered oath as Pakistan's 24th Prime Minister by President Arif Alvi on Monday.
"Congratulations to @CMShehbaz on being sworn in as the Prime Minister of Pakistan," PM Modi wrote on X.
Shehbaz was administered the oath in the presence of his elder brother Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and other PML-N workers. PPP’s Murad Ali Shah and Sarfaraz Bugti were also in attendance. He was tasked by the PML-N supremo 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.
Shehbaz takes the reins of Pakistan at a time when the country is facing perils on multiple fronts, notably a cash-strapped economy coupled with administrative crises. During his first tenure as PM following the ouster of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan in 2022, inflation touched a high of 38 per cent with a record depreciation of the rupee currency, mainly due to structural reforms necessitated by the IMF programme to stabilise the country’s economy.
Shehbaz became the chief of the PML-N after his elder brother was found guilty in 2017 on charges of concealing assets related to the Panama Papers revelations and subsequently convicted in other cases and disqualified from holding office. He has a reputation in Pakistan for being an astute politician and a good administrator. Shehbaz as served as Chief Minister thrice in Punjab province and is credited for finishing much-needed infrastructural projects in Pakistan's most populous province.
The road to becoming Pakistan PM
The PML-N President was elected as Prime Minister on Sunday (March 3) as he secured 201 votes, announced newly-elected National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq. Omar Ayub Khan, the candidate for Imran's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secured 92 votes. The Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) party backed by Khan alleges that the national election was rigged against them and has called for an audit of the polls. No single party won a majority.
Candidates backed by Imran Khan gained the most seats but the PML-N and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) agreed to form a coalition government with MQM-P and other parties, which enabled Shehbaz Sharif to be elected as prime minister as his brother stepped aside. To win the contest, Shehbaz needed to win 169 votes in the 336-member house.
As Shehbaz was sworn in as the Prime Minister, the declaration was also met with loud protests from the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) party backed by Imran Khan. The lawmakers called for Khan's release and shouted slogans alleging Shehbaz had come to power through electoral rigging.
Pakistan's major problems
Pakistan continues to be enmeshed in an economic crisis with inflation remaining high, hovering around 30 per cent, and economic growth slowing to around 2 per cent. Shehbaz's main role in this area would be to maintain ties with the military, which has directly or indirectly dominated Pakistan since independence.
He is also tasked with the crucial responsibility to emulate his feat of securing a short-term IMF bailout with the current programme expiring next month and a new extended deal needed to keep Pakistan on a narrow path to recovery. The younger Sharif is considered more acceptable and compliant by the Army generals as compared to his elder brother, who has had a rocky relationship with the military.
Although defence and key foreign policy decisions are largely influenced by the military, Sharif will have to juggle relations with the US and China, both major allies. He is also faced with dealing with fraying ties with three of Pakistan's four neighbours, India, Iran and Afghanistan.
(with inputs from agencies)
