Shahbaz Sharif takes oath as 24th prime minister of Pakistan

Tariq Butt, Correspondent/ Agencies 

Newly-elected Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif was sworn in as the 24th prime minister of Pakistan by President Dr Arif Alvi.

Shahbaz, 72, officially took up office at a swearing-in ceremony at the presidential office in the nation's capital, Islamabad, a day after parliament elected him prime minister despite protests from lawmakers aligned with jailed former premier Imran Khan.

Shahbaz wore a black traditional overcoat, called a sherwani, in the ceremony, broadcast live on state TV and attended by civil, military, bureaucracy and other dignities.

Several dignitaries including the leaders of the mainstream political parties such as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), among others, attended the oath-taking ceremony, while former caretaker premier Anwaar-ul Haq Kakar was also in attendance.

Senate chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza and other services chiefs also attended the ceremony. Ambassadors and diplomats from different countries were present at the ceremony.

All the provincial governors and chief ministers except Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur participated in the function.

Following the swearing-in ceremony, Shahbaz received a guard of honour and was welcomed by his staff at the Prime Minister’s Office.

President Arif Alvi (2R) administers the oath to Shahbaz  Sharif as Anwaar-ul Haq Kakar looks on during the ceremony. AFP

Shahbaz pledged to perform his duties and functions with honesty and loyalty and always for the country's independence, "integrity, stability, and for the sake of unity.” But stability and unity are in short supply in Pakistani politics, and Shahbaz has a tough task of bringing lawmakers together to steer the country through challenging times.

The first two sessions of parliament have been chaotic and noisy, with the opposition shouting and jeering at the new government because of their election grievances.

Shahbaz, the PML-N president, retained the post of the 24th chief executive after his 16-month-long stint serving the office from April 2022 to August 2023.

This is the second time that he will serve the nation as the premier after receiving 201 votes against his Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) opponent Omar Ayub Khan who got 92 votes in a ruckus-marred session of the Parliament's lower house. Shahbaz’s victory was expected as he enjoyed the support of several other parties apart from the PML-N.

Kakar has vacated the Prime Minister House. After relinquishing the office, he has been allotted a house in the Ministers’ Enclave.