Pakistan’s recently formed congress has elected Shehbaz Sharif as prime minister for a second term.
He defeated a foe supported by imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The shift comes three days after an equivocal general vote that was marred by allegations of harassment and ballot- rigging.
Mr Sharif’s PML- N group came next in the surveys. Independent candidates backed by Mr Khan’s PTI won the most seats but failed to get a lot.
On Sunday, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq announced that Mr Sharif had secured 201 political seats. He needed 169 to get elected prime minister.
His rival Omar Ayub, who was supported by Mr Khan’s Tehreek- e- Insaf ( PTI ) party, won 92 seats.
In his defeat statement, Mr Sharif said that as no part had a distinct parliamentary majority, it was” the political method” that “like- thinking parties may form a coalition government”.
Following last month’s election, the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz ( PML- N )- headed by Nawaz Sharif, a former prime minister who is Shehbaz Sharif’s brother- reached a coalition deal with the Pakistan People’s Party ( PPP ).
In 2022 the two parties, which have usually been competitors, joined forces to remove Imran Khan as prime minister and place Mr Sharif as his son.
After the council was dissolved next August, Pakistan was led by a caretaker government.
Imran Khan was jailed in the work- up to the 6 February vote and barred from standing.
PTI individuals were forced to run as politicians, but won more votes than any other group.
