Shehbaz Sharif takes oath as 24th prime minister

Shehbaz Sharif Monday took oath as the country's 24th prime minister with President Arif Alvi administering his swearing-in at the President's House.

Several dignitaries including the leaders of the country’s mainstream political parties such as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Peoples Party, Mutahidda Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party, among others, attended the oath-taking ceremony, while former caretaker premier Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar also participated.

Among the leaders include PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif (left), PPP Co-chairman Asif Zardari and Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan chief ministers — Maryam Nawaz, Murad Ali Shah and Sarfraz Bugti — were also present at the ceremony.

Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani was also in attendance at the President House, while Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir, the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza and other services chiefs also participated in the ceremony.

Ambassadors and diplomats from different countries were also present at the venue.

Following the swearing-in ceremony, Prime Minister Shehbaz received a guard of honour and was welcomed by the premier's staff.

Shehbaz, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president, retained the post of the country's 24th chief executive after his 16-month-long stint serving the office from April 2022 to August 2023.

This is the second time that Shehbaz will serve the nation as the premier after receiving 201 votes against his Pakistan Tehreek-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.

Shehbaz's victory was expected as he enjoyed the support of seven other parties apart from the PML-N. The PM-elect was backed by the PPP, MQM-P, PML-Q, BAP, PML-Z, IPP and National Party.

Caretaker PM Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, according to official sources, would welcome the new premier on his arrival at the Prime Minister’s House. Shehbaz had also received Kakar on his arrival at the PM House on August 14 last year.

Kakar has vacated the PM House, but he will continue to perform his duties as premier till the issuance of notification of the new chief executive of the country. He has been allotted a house in the Minister's Enclave.

The PM House is getting ready to welcome the new premier today. Officials said that arrangements for the presentation of a guard of honour and to welcome the new PM are being made given the predicted clear weather after a spell of rain.