On March 3, local time, the new National Assembly of Pakistan held an important meeting and voted to elect the new prime minister. After fierce competition, Shahbaz Sharif, chairman of the Muslim League (Sharif) and former prime minister, stood out and was successfully elected as the new prime minister. Shehbaz Sharif has already been elected in the April 2022 prime minister election, and his return to the helm is undoubtedly an important political event for Pakistan.
Shehbaz Sharif's political career was full of twists and turns. He was elected as the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan in April 2022, however, just over a year later, he announced the end of his tenure in August 2023 and subsequently handed over power to caretakers. For Shahbaz Sharif, his re-election is both a challenge and an opportunity.
Shehbaz Sharif's family background is equally prominent. His younger brother, Nawaz Sharif, was Pakistan's prime minister three times, while his father, Mian Mohammed Sharif, was an industrialist who had a profound impact on Pakistan's economy. Such a family background undoubtedly provided strong support for Shahbaz Sharif's political career.
However, the political situation in Pakistan is not encouraging. As previously reported by Xinhua News Agency, on February 11, 2024, the Election Commission of Pakistan announced the final results of the election of the new National Assembly (lower house of parliament). According to the results, the top four votes were: the group of independent candidates won 101 seats; The Muslim League (Sharif), led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, won 75 seats; The BJP, led by former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, won 54 seats; The United National Movement (UNN) won 17 seats. This result means that no political party or group of independent candidates will be able to win a majority of seats in the current National Assembly elections, so Pakistan's major political parties will need to negotiate a coalition**.
After several rounds of consultations, Pakistan's main political party, the Muslim League (Sharif), and the BJP announced late at night in Islamabad, the capital, that the two parties had reached an agreement to form a coalition**. This decision laid the foundation for political stability in Pakistan and provided strong support for Shehbaz Sharif's return to power.
However, Shahbaz Sharif's challenges go far beyond that. At present, Pakistan's economic development is facing serious challenges, with high inflation, slowing economic growth, and political turmoil not yet completely subsided. Shahbaz Sharif urgently needed an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to secure new aid funding to pave the way for the country's economic recovery.
Meanwhile, supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, despite being ousted by parliament and imprisoned in April last year, accused the February elections of fraud and staged numerous demonstrations in Pakistan. This series of political turmoil has undoubtedly brought a lot of pressure to Shahbaz Sharif's new **.
Shehbaz Sharif, as the new Prime Minister, will need to demonstrate strong political resolve and leadership to address the challenges facing Pakistan today. He needs to unite all parties to stabilize the political situation, promote economic development and improve people's livelihood, and at the same time, he also needs to maintain good relations with the international community and strive for more support and assistance.
Overall, the election of Pakistan's new prime minister and the challenges it faces are a complex and serious issue. Shehbaz Sharif, as the new prime minister, will need to put in a lot of effort and wisdom to deal with various challenges and pressures at home and abroad. However, there is reason to believe that under Shehbaz Sharif's leadership, Pakistan will usher in new development opportunities and a better future.