Imran sworn in as 22nd prime minister

Source: 
The Express Tribune
Publication date: 
Aug 18 2018
ISLAMABAD: PM-elect Imran Khan took oath as the 22nd prime minister of Pakistan on Friday at a ceremony held at the President House.

Khan, who secured an 80-vote lead over PML-N’s PM nominee Shehbaz Sharif, was administered the oath by President Mamnoon Hussain.

The oath was attended by the country’s top political and military leaders. First Lady Bushra Imran was also present at the ceremony and was sitting in the first row next to NA Speaker Asad Qaiser.

Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and the country’s naval and air force chiefs were also present at the ceremony along with interim Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk, Dr Hasan Askari, Asad Umar, Chaudhry Sarwar, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Shireen Mazari, Jahangir Tareen, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and former Indian cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu.

Cricketer Waseem Akram, singers Salman Ahmed and Abrarul Haq, actor Javed Sheikh also attended the oath-taking ceremony at the President House.

 

After the ceremony concluded, PM Khan reached the Prime Minister’s Office and was presented a guard of honour by a contingent of the Pakistan Army.

Imran was elected premier after securing 176 votes against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Shehbaz Sharif’s 96 votes in an open ballot conducted in the National Assembly.

 

“Imran Khan has secured 176 votes,” National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser said after the vote. Imran needed a simple majority of 172 in the 342-seat National Assembly to take power. His only rival, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif won 96 votes.

PML-N leaders protested in the assembly following the announcement of the result.