Sharif, Qureshi file nomination; new Pak PM to be elected today

ISLAMABAD: The process of electing the new leader of the house began on Sunday after Khan was removed from office through a no-confidence vote, becoming the first premier in the country’s history to be sent home after losing the trust of the House.

The joint Opposition - a rainbow of socialist, liberal and radically religious parties - has nominated 70-year-old Sharif for the premier’s post while ex-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was named by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as its candidate. The nomination papers of Sharif, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president have been accepted by the National Assembly Secretariat after objections raised by the PTI were rejected. Qureshi’s nomination papers were also accepted. Meanwhile, the PTI has decided to withdraw its lawmakers from the National Assembly and launch a movement against the new upcoming government, which is likely to be headed by Sharif, who has served as the Chief Minister of Punjab three times.

Khan’s successor will be elected in the National Assembly on Monday and a special session has been summoned. In the house of 342, the winner would need 172 votes to become the new Prime Minister.

On Sunday, the Opposition had mustered 174 votes to ouster Khan. Sharif is expected to be elected the new Leader of the House. In 2019, the National Accountability Bureau had arrested Shehbaz and his son, Hamza Sharif, accusing them of money laundering.

It will be a real challenge for Sharif to shepherd the motley herd that also includes four independent candidates and allow Parliament to complete its five-year term that will end in August next year.

Imran tried to sack Bajwa before ouster: Reports

As the people of Pakistan woke up to a new dawn on Sunday, various reports surfaced stating that Khan made a botched attempt to replace Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa in order to bring someone more pliant and sympathetic to his idea of “foreign conspiracy” and cling on to power. A helicopter carrying “two uninvited guests” landed in the PM’s House in the night and were escorted by Army soldiers to the interior of the palatial building. They two met alone for 45 minutes with Khan, the reports claimed.

Change of govt good for India-Pak ties, say experts

The change of government in Pakistan after the exit of hawkish Imran Khan and his likely replacement by hard-core realist Shehbaz Sharif may provide a little window of opportunity for the leaders of India and Pakistan to reset their nearly frozen bilateral ties, according to experts. The main reason for hope is that the new PM should be seen as a continuation of Nawaz Sharif who still makes all political decisions of PML-N, and whose chemistry of relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not a secret.