Shehbaz elected PM amid opposition’s rumpus

ISLAMABAD: Shehbaz Sharif was on Sunday elected the 24th prime minister of Pakistan by the National Assembly amid usual rumpus by the opposition members.

Sharif, nominated by the PML-N, PPP, MQM and other parties scored 201 votes against 92 by Omar Ayub of the Sunni Ittehad Council who comprises the members of the PTI.

If we count the caretaker prime ministers too, there have been so far 33 prime ministers in all.

As the session started under the chair of Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) members gathered in front of the dias of the speaker and started chanting slogans. However, when the process to elect the prime minister started, they took their seats.

The members of the JUI-F did not participate in the election of the PM and went out of the hall. Moreover, Sardar Akhtar Mengal did not vote for any candidate and remained seated on his seat.

During Mr Sharif’s address to the house after being elected the PM, the opposition members continued making noise snd desk thumping. In a slip of the tongue, Mr Sharif said he was thankful to members of different parties for electing him as the leader of the ‘opposition.’

Mr Sharif promised that his government would provide subsidies directly to farmers and a package on solar tube-wells will be soon announced.

“The seed mafia will be eliminated and we will import seeds from the best countries in the world and provide them to farmers,” he said, adding that the first of these seeds would be provided free of cost.

He further stated that the centre would work with all four provinces in the sectors of agriculture.