Shehbaz Sharif Sworn-In As New Prime Minister Of Pakistan

Pakistan New PM: Before the election, PTI members walked out of the National Assembly after their PM candidate, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, announced a boycott of the polling process.

Shehbaz Sharif was elected as the 23rd premier of Pakistan (Photo: AFP)

New Delhi: Following the ouster of Imran Khan as the prime minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif was sworn in as the 23rd premier of the country on Monday. Sharif, the Opposition's joint candidate, was elected unopposed as the PM earlier in the day.

Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani administered the oath of office to Shehbaz Sharif in the absence of President Dr Arif Alvi. The President went on a 'sick' leave ahead of the PML-N leader's inauguration, PTI reported.

Shehbaz Sharif, brother of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, secured 174 votes -- two more than the simple majority of 172, Geo News reported.

"Today, the almighty has saved Pakistan and the 22 crore people of the country. This is the first time when the vote of no-confidence motion was successfully passed. The people of this country will celebrate this day," Shehbaz Sharif said in his first address to Parliament.

Before the election, PTI members walked out of the National Assembly after their PM candidate, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, announced a boycott of the polling process. Imran Khan also resigned as a member of the National Assembly, saying he would not sit with "thieves".

Taking to Twitter, former Pakistan Minister Fawad Chaudhry announced, "Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Parliamentary Committee has decided to resign from the National Assembly. Today, all members of the Assembly are submitting their resignations to the Speaker. We will fight for freedom."

In the National Assembly, a couple of PML-(N) lawmakers and PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz were seen holding portraits of Nawaz Sharif to show their support.

The development comes two days after the lower house of Parliament voted to remove Imran Khan from office, bringing to end a whirlwind of political developments that have embroiled the country for the past few weeks.

Former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chair Asif Ali Zardari had proposed Shehbaz's name for prime minister's post.

Pakistan has struggled with political instability since its formation in 1947 with multiple regime changes and military coups. No prime minister has ever completed a full five-year term and Imran Khan became the first Prime Minister to lose a trust vote.

Who Is Shehbaz Sharif?

Shehbaz Sharif was born on September 23, 1951, in Lahore, Pakistan. He is the younger sibling of three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif and is known as an effective administrator.  

Shehbaz Sharif has previously served as the chief minister of Punjab three times, making him the longest-serving CM of Punjab province.

Shehbaz was elected to the Punjab Provincial Assembly in 1988 and to the National Assembly in 1990. He was again elected to the Punjab Assembly in 1993 and was elected as chief minister for the first time in 1997.

After a military coup in 1999, Shehbaz along with his family spent years in exile in Saudi Arabia, returning to Pakistan in 2007.