Pakistan Elects New Prime Minister

More than 100 Pakistani lawmakers loyal to ousted PM Imran Khan resigned on Monday, just ahead of a Parliamentary vote electing opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif to lead the country in his absence.

🇵🇰 Background: Khan, a former cricket star elected in 2018, was removed from his position early Sunday after losing a no-confidence vote in Parliament.

• He had tried to sidestep the removal by dissolving Parliament before they could hold the vote, but his attempt was struck down by Pakistan’s Supreme Court last week.
• Hundreds of thousands of Khan supporters – largely youths – gathered to protest against his removal late Sunday, according to the AP, with many accusing the US of colluding to oust the former PM. (The State Department has denied any involvement.)

👀 Looking ahead… New PM Shehbaz Sharif, the younger brother of disgraced former PM Nawaz Sharif, unveiled a “raft of populist measures” in a speech after taking office yesterday, per Bloomberg, including raising the minimum wage and increasing civil service pensions.

• He also said his government will speed up construction of the $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a part of President Xi Jinping’s multi-trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative.

+The streak continues: In the 75-year history of Pakistan, no elected PM has ever completed their full five years in office.