ISLAMABAD — Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shehbaz Sharif was sworn-in as the new prime minister of Pakistan on Monday, bringing to an end the political uncertainty that had gripped the country since a no-confidence motion was introduced against his predecessor Imran Khan on March 8.

Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani administered the oath of office to 70-year-old Shehbaz in President Dr. Arif Alvi’s absence, who went on ‘sick’ leave ahead of the PML-N leader’s inauguration.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his congratulations to Shehbaz soon after he assumed office. “Congratulations to Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on his election as the prime pinister of Pakistan. India desires peace and stability in a region free of terror, so that we can focus on our development challenges and ensure the well-being and prosperity of our people,” Modi tweeted.

Shehbaz was sworn in as the country’s 23rd prime minister at Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad on Monday, in a landmark occasion for the nation. Major political leaders including PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and PML-N leaders Maryam Nawaz, Hamza Shehbaz, Ahsan Iqbal, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Rana Sanaullah among others were present in the oath-taking ceremony held at President House in the federal capital.

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen. Nadeem Raza, naval chief, air chief and other senior military and civilian officials also attended the ceremony.

Earlier in the day, the National Assembly elected Shehbaz as the new prime minister of Pakistan after lawmakers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced their resignations from the lower house of parliament, leaving the field open for the opposition.

“Mian Shehbaz Sharif is declared as elected Prime Minister,” Ayaz Sadiq announced following the completion of the counting process.

The PML-N chief, a nominee of the joint opposition parties, received 174 votes for the top post days after PTI chief Imran Khan was ousted via a no-trust vote by the opposition parties.

Though the opposition alliance had the support of PTI’s dissident members, they did not the cast vote and stayed in the opposition’s lobbies.

Shehbaz was also the candidate for the premiership in 2018 when Imran was elected as the PM with 176 votes. He had received 96 votes at the time.

The PML-N’s rival for the post was PTI’s Shah Mehmood Qureshi; however, the former ruling party decided to quit the assembly at the 11th hour citing allegations of imported regime change.

The PTI lawmakers had left the house while shouting slogans against the opposition parties’ leadership as well as the United States of America even before the voting began and the process of transition of power could be completed.

After the PTI lawmakers left the hall announcing resignations, Ayaz Sadiq started the voting process for the election of the chief minister. Ayaz also mistakenly pronounced Shehbaz Sharif as Nawaz Sharif. He then apologized to Shehbaz, saying he had “made the mistake because Nawaz was in his heart and mind”.

In his speech, PM-elect Shehbaz congratulated the Supreme Court of Pakistan for declaring the deputy speaker’s ruling unconstitutional and “burying the doctrine of necessity forever”.

Shehbaz said he would resign the second it is proven that the opposition had any link with the ‘foreign conspiracy’, saying soon an in-camera briefing would be arranged on the alleged threatening letter.

The prime minister-elect also shunned the allegations of treason against opposition parties, saying: “Dialogue should replace deadlock as change would not come merely through speeches.” He emphasized on bringing harmony for moving forward, especially, addressing the economic issues being faced by the country.

“Neither anyone was traitor nor anyone is traitor,” Shehbaz said, adding that it’s time to move ahead with unity instead of being divided. Shehbaz also said the PTI-led government left the country’s economy in tatters with current account deficit and other economic indicators “worsening”.

He announced raising the minimum wage to Rs25,000 and also announced a 10% hike in pensions of retired government employees. Government employees earning less than Rs100,000 would also be given a 10% raise, he added.

The premier-designate said his government will work with provinces to provide relief to masses and reintroduce the Benazir Income Support program, which was introduced by the former PPP-led government at center.

Speaking about the country’s foreign policy, the PM-designate vowed to re-strengthen ties with Beijing, saying that his government will complete China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects at “Punjab speed”.

He said Pakistan would also maintain cordial ties with Britain, European countries and the United States to boost the country’s exports.

The United Kingdom has also always supported democracy in Pakistan and also spent billions of pounds on education and others sectors in Pakistan. Whatever happens in London affects Pakistan and vice versa, he added.

“We have historic ties with the US... [bilateral] relations however have witnessed ups and downs, but it does not mean that we strain our ties with America but we have to maintain relations on equal footing,” he remarked.

Shehbaz also offered Modi to hold dialogue with Pakistan in a bid to end miseries of the people living on both sides of the border. “Neighbors are not matter of choice, but something you have to live with. We want cordial ties with India but without the resolution of Kashmir dispute the ties cannot be improved,” he added.

“We [Pakistan] will continue to provide diplomatic and moral support to Kashmiris... I want to give an advice to [PM] Narendra Modi; come and resolve the issues through dialogue to end the poverty and miseries of the people living on both sides of the border.”

He also highlighted the plight of Afghans, saying that the people of the neighboring countries were in desperate need of basic necessities.

“We have to speak in favor of millions of Muslims living in the neighboring country and facing acute food and medicine shortages... if condition further deteriorates there will be massive exodus from [Afghanistan] to K-P.”

In a video message after the meeting of the PTI, the former information minister Fawad Chaudhary said PTI Chairman Imran Khan has decided that the PTI would not legitimize this ‘foreign-funded regime change’ in Pakistan by taking part in the election of the premier.

“The parliamentary meeting of the PTI gave Imran the complete authority to make decisions on the lawmakers’ behalf.”

Fawad said as per the directions of Imran, no PTI lawmaker will vote in the election for the PM and after that, the PTI MNAs will also send their resignations to the National Assembly speaker.

He acknowledged that there was a difference of opinion over the decision to resign en masse from the assembly but the parliamentary party gave Imran the authority to make this decision and he decided in favor of resignations. — Agencies