The comments by Sharif came a day after the IMF said it had agreed to a provisional or staff-level agreement with Islamabad which, if approved by its board, will disburse the last tranche of $1.1 billion under the $3 billion standby arrangement.
Pakistan's austerity measures aim to promote fiscal responsibility amid a severe economic crisis, causing them to seek a financial bailout from the IMF. The global moneylender reached a staff-level agreement with Pakistan to release the last tranche of the $3 billion bailout package.
An old video resurfaced, falsely linking a woman reciting the Gayatri Mantra in the presence of former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to the swearing-in ceremony of Shehbaz Sharif as the country's Prime Minister.
A Kashmiri-origin chartered accountant, Ishaq Dar has served as Pakistan's Finance Minister four times, the latest under Shehbaz Sharif till 2023. He has the critical task of mending bilateral relations with neighbours India and Afghanistan, which are now at their lowest.
At least 45 fishermen belonging to Ibrahim Hyderi-- a fishing village in the Malir District of Karachi-- had gone fishing but their boat capsized at Hijamkro Creek near Keti Bandar in Thatta on March 5 at around 3:00 am.
Shehbaz Sharif's reply on social media came a day after PM Modi extended greetings to Sharif on being elected as Pakistan's PM.
Though the military chief did not name any political party, it was directed at jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which has been alleging that the powerful establishment had supported the PML-N party to steal its mandate.
Shehbaz Sharif was nominated as the PM candidate after PML-N's poor performance in the February 8 elections forced his elder brother Nawaz to withdraw his plans and form a coalition with other parties. He became the 24th Prime Minister of Pakistan after securing 201 votes in the National Assembly.
"Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will not make any difference. The condition of the people is deteriorating day by day and their problems will not be solved by this election. This is the continuity of the same status quo which has prevailed in the country from the beginning," said a local resident.
The oath ceremony was attended by Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and other PML-N workers. PPP’s Murad Ali Shah and Sarfaraz Bugti were also in attendance.
President Arif Alvi will administer the oath to Shehbaz in a ceremony at the President's House at 3 pm. Army Chief Gen Asim Munir, caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar, Chief Ministers and governors of all provinces will attend the ceremony.
Sharif returned to the role he held until August when parliament was dissolved ahead of the elections and a caretaker government took over.
The PML-N president Shehbaz is the younger brother of former three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif, 74, who sprang a surprise last month after being projected as the party's prime ministerial candidate ahead of the February 8.
Foreign countries including the UK and European Union had also expressed concerns over alleged rigging in elections, an internet shutdown and unusual delay in results. Pakistan is heading for a coalition government with Shehbaz Sharif expected to become the next premier.
Nawaz said the upcoming coalition government will prioritise on fixing the economy of the cash-strapped Pakistan and remained hopeful that all members complete their five-year tenure. He asserted that Shehbaz Sharif was the best choice under the current circumstances.
Nawaz Sharif sacrificed his ambition to become the Pakistan prime minister for the fourth time for his daughter Maryam, sources said, adding that he was given two options by the Pakistani army -- either to become premier or leave it to make his daughter CM of Punjab province.
Notably, the polls did not return a clear majority for anyone, but independent candidates backed by Imran Khan won 92 out of 264 seats making them the largest group. Khan ruled out alliances with the three largest parties, which means his candidate currently lacks the numbers to form a government.
All main parties, barring Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, announced that they would try to form a coalition government to resolve Pakistan's issues. None of the parties won a majority, with PTI-backed independent candidates getting the lion's share of National Assembly seats.
Pakistan New PM: As the general elections in Pakistan concluded on February 8, discussions about government formation have intensified, particularly within the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP).
Pakistan election results: Party insiders say Nawaz isn’t suited to a coalition because of his temperament. His younger brother, Shehbaz, led a coalition after Khan was ousted from power and is regarded as more accommodating.
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