Shehbaz Sharif elected as Pakistan’s new prime minister

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Pakistani parliament on Sunday elected Shehbaz Sharif as the country’s 24th prime minister for a second term, three weeks after the Feb. 8 national elections.

Shehbaz, the younger brother of three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and president of his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, received 201 votes from the lower house, 32 higher than the number required for a simple majority, Geo News reported.

He defeated his rival Omer Ayub Khan of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of jailed ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan, who secured 92 votes.

A candidate requires 169 votes in a 336-member house to clinch the coveted post by a simple majority.

The junior Sharif is expected to take the oath of office on Monday.

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