Islamabad, Aug 17: Former international cricketer and PTI Chief Imran Khan, has been elected the 22nd prime minister of Pakistan, marking the highlight of his 22-year-long political career.
Khan won with 176 seats while his opponent, PML-N’s Shahbaz Sharif, secured 96 votes in the polling that took place in the National Assembly on Friday, The Dawn reported.
As the newly elected speaker of the house, Asad Qaiser, announced the results, the house erupted with chants of “namanzoor” [unacceptable] and “Wazir-e-azam Nawaz Sharif” [PM Nawaz Sharif]. The protests by PML-N leaders continued as the speaker tried to restore order in the house.
Khan, in the meantime, sat smiling in his seat, accepting congratulations by his party members.
Khan’s oath-taking ceremony will take place on Saturday. The former cricketer was tipped as the ‘PM-in-waiting’ soon after the July 25 polls in which PTI won more seats than other political parties.
The newly elected members of the National Assembly finished casting their votes for the two contenders in the running for the premier post: Imran Khan and Shahbaz Sharif.
According to DawnNewsTV, PML-N leader and former assembly speaker Ayaz Sadiq made a last-minute attempt to convince PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari ─ whose party earlier announced it would abstain from voting ─ to support Shahbaz Sharif.
The PTI emerged as the single largest party with 116 seats in July 25 elections. Its number increased to 125 after nine independent members joined it and final tally reached 158 after it was allotted 28 out of 60 seats reserved for women and five out of 10 seats reserved for minorities.
The PTI has the support of smaller parties including MuttahidaQuami Movement with seven seats, Balochistan Awami Party five, Balochistan National Party four, Pakistan Muslim League three, Grand Democratic Alliance three, Awami Muslim League and JamoriWatan Party one seat each.
His party’s spokesman Faisal Javed told the media that preparations are going on for the oath taking ceremony of Khan.
Javed said that Khan will don a black sherwani on the occasion. The ceremony will be held at the President House and President Mamnoon Hussain will administer the oath to the premier. The ceremony will be kept simple.
