Shehbaz Sharif, senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader is set to become the next Prime Minister of Pakistan on Sunday, March 3. He submitted his nomination on Saturday, March 2.
Shehbaz Sharif, 72, who is the consensus candidate of the PML-N and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), is set to lead a coalition government following last month's elections that produced a split mandate. His closest contender Omar Ayub Khan of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also filed his papers on Saturday ahead of Sunday's election that are expected to be a one-sided affair.
According to the National Assembly Secretariat, voting in the National Assembly to elect the new prime minister would be held on Sunday, March 3. The winning candidate will be administered the oath of office on Monday, March 4, at the Presidential mansion, Aiwan-e-Sadr.
Who is Shehbaz Sharif?
The PML-N president Shehbaz is the younger brother of former three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif, 74, who was projected as the party's prime ministerial candidate ahead of the February 8 elections last month. He was marred by allegations of rigged vote.
Nawaz Sharif who has headed the country thrice earlier as PM decided against contesting as his PML-N party failed to garner majority seats in the February 8 elections to form a government on its own. Meanwhile, Sharifs-led party is the largest party with 75 out of 265 seats.
How is government formed?
A party requires to win 133 seats out of 265 contested seats to form a government while some 70 seats are reserved for women and minorities. In order to become the leader of the house, the candidate requires 169 votes in the 336-member house.
Moreover, these elections witnessed victory of over 90 independent candidates backed by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's PTI that won majority seats in the 336-member National Assembly.
Shehbaz Sharif who is set for second term as PM, served as prime minister of a coalition government from April 2022 to August 2023 before Parliament was dissolved to hold general elections.
Additionally, 304 lawmakers have taken oath at present but meanwhile the Election Commission of Pakistan has so far withheld the notification of 23 reserved seats for women and minorities.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is set to hold an election for the office of Pakistan's president by March 9. These elections are scheduled to take place two days before the retirement of half of the senators after completing their six-year term.
