Pakistan: Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan elected prime minister
In a vote in the National Assembly, Khan won 176 seats while his opponent, PML(N) leader Shahbaz Sharif, won 96 seats.
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan, whose party won the maximum number of seats in the country’s National Assembly elections in July, was elected prime minister on Friday. He will take oath on Saturday.
In a vote in the National Assembly on Friday, Khan won 176 seats, while his opponent, Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leader Shahbaz Sharif, won only 96, Dawn reported. As many as 172 seats are needed for a majority.
The House erupted with chants of “unacceptable” as speaker Asad Qaiser, announced the results of the vote. The Pakistan People’s Party boycotted the vote, but its Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari attended the session.
On August 10, Khan met Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria to discuss bilateral relations. A statement released by the party said Khan “discussed the need to restart dialogue between Pakistan and India on all outstanding issues, including Kashmir”.