Shahid Khaqan Abbasi replaces Nawaz Sharif who was ousted last week amid corruption allegations
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Pakistani lawmakers on Tuesday elected Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as the country’s new prime minister, after Nawaz Sharif was ousted from the post last week.
Former oil minister Abbasi is the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) party’s pick for the job and a staunch ally of Sharif. He was nominated by the ex-PM to become interim leader.
Abbasi was confirmed with 221 votes in the 342-seat National Assembly as the PML-N used its hefty majority to push through his appointment.
He is set to hold the job until Sharif’s brother Shahbaz becomes eligible to take over, probably within two months.
“Within four days the process of democracy is back on track,” Abbasi told lawmakers after being voted in.
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, a Sharif loyalist, is elected interim prime minister of Pakistan https://t.co/nmctbqy1eE pic.twitter.com/dYsqxUC3bM
— Bloomberg (@business) 1 août 2017
“Above all, I’m thankful to Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, the people’s prime minister,” Abbasi said.
PML-N officials have privately spoken of plans for Sharif to wield huge influence in the party from behind the scenes.
He resigned on Friday, after being disqualified from office by the Supreme Court over undeclared assets, cutting short his third stint in power.
His brother Shahbaz is currently chief minister of eastern Punjab province.
He will have to resign and fight a parliamentary by-election before he can take over.
The plan to eventually install Shahbaz has sparked anger among supporters of opposition leader Imran Khan, who has criticised another bout of dynastic politics, a trend with a long history in Pakistan and elsewhere in South Asia.
with Reuters