Shehbaz Sharif set to be elected as Pakistan's new Prime Minister

With backing from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the Pakistan Muslim League (N) has nominated Shehbaz Sharif, who is expected to be elected as Pakistan's new prime minister on Sunday (March 3).

Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which is imprisoned, has chosen Omar Ayub Khan as its prime minister (PTI).

Eighteen days after the Election Commission declared the results of the votes conducted on February 8, the National Assembly Secretariat revealed the poll timetable for the election of the government's leader on Thursday.

In order to create a government, 133 of the 265 contested seats in the 266-member National Assembly had to be won by one of the parties.

The PTI-backed independent candidates secured 93 seats, while the PML-N, led by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, secured 75 seats. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) got 17 seats, while the PPP, under by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, emerged in third place with 54 seats.

Imran Khan's party's chances were disrupted when the PML-N and PPP made the decision to establish a post-election coalition in order to become the government.

If elected, Shehbaz Sharif will become the Prime Minister of Pakistan for a second time. He had earlier become PM when Imran Khan's government was ousted in April 2022 and served as prime minister for 16 months until August 2023 when fresh elections were announced.