Pakistan’s parliament has backed Shehbaz Sharif as prime minister for the second time, as the country’s dynastic political parties join forces to form a new government amid angry protests from supporters of former premier Imran Khan.
In a vote of confidence on Sunday, a coalition led by Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz secured 201 votes in the 336-seat parliament. Omar Ayub Khan secured 92 votes for the opposition Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), a minority party backed by Khan’s loyalists.
Speaking in parliament after the vote, Sharif promised “a new journey to lift up Pakistan. We will build a strong economy for the future of our country”. His remarks were repeatedly interrupted by opposition members shouting “our votes have been stolen, our mandate has been stolen”.