Shahbaz Sharif elected 23rd prime minister of Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The PTI walked out of the National Assembly session convened to elect the 23rd prime minister after Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi repeated the party’s claim that the toppling of their government was a part of a “foreign conspiracy”.

Qureshi announced that they won't become part of the “conspiracy” and boycotted the session after announcing to resign en masse.

Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri chaired the NA session briefly before the party lawmakers left the house after which PML-N’s Ayaz Sadiq supervised the proceedings.

The Opposition’s joint candidate and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif is likely to be elected unopposed as PTI Chairman Imran Khan had decided not to sit with the “corrupt people” in the Lower House and announced to tender their resignation.

When the session started today, Qasim Suri defended his ruling which declared the no-trust motion as a "foreign conspiracy" and said that he will share the letter with the chief justice.

He said that in compliance with the order of the Supreme Court, voting on the no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan has been taken place and you have seen its results.

Suri said that he had made the decision as a patriotic Pakistani. He maintained that the “foreign communique” was discussed in the federal cabinet, National Security Committee and the parliamentary committee on national security and it was endorsed that the no-trust motions against Imran Khan is a foreign conspiracy.

The last federal cabinet meeting held on April 9 had decided to de-classified the “foreign communique”, he added. While holding the letter in his hand, the deputy speaker said that Pakistan is given a threat in this letter, adding that this letter is received in Pakistan before the no-confidence motion against the prime minister.

“It is clearly written in this letter that Pakistan will have to face a difficult situation if the no-confidence motion does not succeed. You will be pardoned if the motion succeeds,” the deputy speaker added.

Was it the fault of Imran Khan that he talked about the independent foreign policy and economy, he fought the case of Islamophobia in the world.

“Imran Khan is punished for not accepting slavery and talking for an independent Pakistan,” he added.

Nomination papers

The NA Secretariat Sunday announced to accept the nomination papers of Shehbaz Sharif, candidate of the combined opposition, and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi as the nominee of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). However, the PTI later announces to boycott the PM's election.  

Earlier, eleven nomination papers from the opposition parties were filed in the National Assembly Secretariat for Shehbaz Sharif with no covering candidates. 

Dr Babar Awan raised an objection to the nomination papers of the combined opposition’s candidate saying that Shehbaz Sharif would be the first prime minister in the world who is on bail for 10 months in corruption cases.

The National Assembly secretary asked Babar Awan not to deliver political speeches and only hand over the charges in writing to him. Qureshi, however, told the official not to interrupt the arguments of his lawyers. “The government has started rigging before the commencement of the voting process,” he said.

The National Assembly secretary, however, rejected all objections on Shehbaz Sharif’s nomination papers. PTI’s Shah Mehmood Qureshi and PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal also exchanged harsh words during the filing of papers. “You are no longer a foreign minister,” Ahsan was heard telling Qureshi, who responded aggressively saying, “You are not a candidate, please get out of the room”.

A delegation of the united opposition also reached the office of the acting National Assembly speaker where the nomination papers were being scrutinised. The raising of objection led to a heated exchange of words between both sides.

The PTI parliamentarians, Zain Qureshi, Malaika Bokhari and Aamir Dogar submitted the nomination papers of Shah Mehmood Qureshi with the Secretary National Assembly. Aamir Dogar and Ali Muhammad Khan signed the nomination papers as seconder and proposer of the PTI candidate.

Shehbaz Sharif is expected to secure 176 votes of the combined opposition. His votes would touch the figure of 200 if dissident members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) decide to participate in the voting process in his favour.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly Secretariat issued the order of the day for April 11, according to which elections of the prime minister, under Article 91 of the Constitution, read with Rule 32 of Rules of Business and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, is the only item to be taken up by the House. The election of the prime minister will take place through a division of vote in the House.

source geo