By Iftikhar Mashwani
Newly-elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was administered oath of CE office by President Arif Alvi here at the Presidency in Islamabad on Monday.
Shehbaz earlier served as prime minister of a coalition government from April 2022 to August 2023 before parliament was dissolved to hold general elections last month.
President Arif Alvi administered oath to Shehbaz at a ceremony held at 3pm. Army chief Gen Asim Munir, outgoing caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, Asif Ali Zardari, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, chief ministers and governors attended the ceremony.
Later, a smart contingent of armed forces presented him guard of honour.
VOTE OF CONFIDENCE
Earlier on Sunday, Shehbaz Sharif comfortably won a majority in the newly-elected parliament amidst sloganeering by the opposition.
Shehbaz, the consensus candidate of the PML-N and the PPP, received 201 votes in the 336-member parliament. His challenger Omar Ayub Khan of SIC-PTI secured 92 votes.
Besides the PPP, Shehbaz was backed by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM-P), the Pakistan Muslim League (Q), the Balochistan Awami Party, the Pakistan Muslim League (Z), the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party and the National Party.
As Speaker Ayaz Sadiq announced the results, former premier and his elder brother Nawaz Sharif congratulated him. Later, Khawaja Asif and PPP leader Asif Zardari hugged him.
Addressing the House, Shehbaz thanked his elder brother for nominating him for the office of prime minister.
He said the country progressed by leaps and bounds under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif. He called him architect of Pakistan who ended loadshedding and made the country a nuclear power.
He also mentioned Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto for their services to the country. Benazir Bhutto laid down her life for democracy, law and justice, he added.
