Imran Khan will take oath as Prime Minister on Saturday August 18.
AMN / ISLAMABAD
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), chairman Imran Khan has been elected as Pakistan’s new prime minister. He will be 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan The Cricketer-turned politician Khan, secured 176 votes while his only rival and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief Shahbaz Sharif got 96 votes in the polling that took place in the National Assembly Friday.
Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaisar announced the name of the Leader of the House after vote count.
Imran Khan secured 176 votes while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Shehbaz Sharif bagged 96 votes in the polling for the Leader of the House in in the 342-seat National Assembly on Friday.
Khan needed a simple majority of 172 to take power.
PTI lawmakers and its allies chanted slogans “Prime Minister Imran Khan, Prime Minister Imran Khan’ as soon as the Speaker announced the results.
Members of PTI and its allied parties greeted victory of Imran Khan with thumping of desks when Speaker Asad Qaiser declared the result.
Pakistan People’s Party, who was part of joint opposition showing reservations on the candidature of Shehbaz Sharif, abstained from voting process.
Attired in white Shalwar Qamiz, the skipper sat in the front row of seats in the lower house of the parliament.
Imran Khan will take oath as Prime Minister on Saturday August 18.
The PTI, which emerged as the leading party in the July 25 general election, has 151 seats, and with the support of its allies, the total stands at 175 which was more than the required simple majority.
Imran Khan’s party campaigned on promises to end widespread graft while building an “Islamic welfare state”.
The party has already formed a government in its stronghold of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and an alliance with regional parties in the southwestern province of Balochistan.
It is expected to form a coalition government in powerful Punjab province, formerly a PML-N stronghold, in coming days. Sindh province remained in the hands of the PPP.
PTI candidates were also voted speaker and deputy speaker of the National Assembly this week, putting Khan in a strong position to carry forward his legislative agenda.
On the other hand, PML-N MPs wearing black armbands protested and raised slogans in favour of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
They also raised their popular slogan of “Give respect to Vote’ in the National Assembly as well.