ISLAMABAD, MAR 4 – Shehbaz Sharif, the country’s prime minister-elect, will take oath office today at the President’s House in Islamabad.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president was elected as the country’s 24th prime minister (PM) retaining the title after his 16-month-long stint in the top coveted position from April 2022 to August 2023.

This is the second time that Shehbaz will get to serve the nation as the premier after receiving 201 votes against his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) opponent Omar Ayub Khan who got 92 votes in a ruckus-marred session of the Parliament’s lower house.

Shehbaz’s victory was expected as he enjoyed the support of seven other parties apart from the PML-N. The PM-elect is backed by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), Pakistan Muslim League-Zia (PML-Z), Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) and National Party (NP).

Caretaker PM Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, according to official sources, would welcome the new premier on his arrival at the Prime Minister’s House. Shehbaz had also received Kakar on his arrival at the PM House on August 14 last year.

Kakar has vacated the PM House, but he will continue to perform his duties as premier till the issuance of notification of the new chief executive of the country. He has been allotted a house in the Minister’s Enclave.

The PM House is getting ready to welcome the new premier today. Officials said that arrangements for the presentation of a guard of honour and to welcome the new PM are being made given the predicted clear weather after a spell of rain.