ISLAMABAD Aug 1 (TNS): Bagging 221 votes during the voting carried out to elect a short-term successor to the ex-prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, PML-N’s nominee Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was elected prime minister of Pakistan.
Abbasi, the favorite candidate to win, swept the election with a majority vote. He received 221 of 339 votes. Abbasi has been elected as an interim prime minister and will hold the post till the election of incumbent Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif to the National Assembly. PPP’s Naveed Qamar secured 47 votes while PTI’s candidate Sheikh Rasheed managed to secure 33 votes. The winning candidate required 172 votes to win.
The speaker Sadiq announced that Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Naveed Qamar, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and Sahibzada Tariqullah are the four valid candidates competing for the office of the prime minister.
PML-N leader Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan was also in attendance, he briefly became the center of attention during the voting process as the treasury members were seen conversing with him. Abbasi also met Chaudhry Nisar, both were seen laughing. The lawmakers were also seen taking pictures with PML-N nominee Khaqan Abbasi.
The members who wished to vote for Shahid were asked to go to lobby A, while those wanting to vote for Naveed Qamar approached to lobby B. Meanwhile, lawmakers wanting to vote for Sheikh Rashid and Sahibzada Tariq were asked to approach lobby C and D, respectively.
At the end of the polling process, after casting their vote, the PML-N members returned to the house carrying porters of their leader Nawaz Sharif.
Major political parties had fielded their respective candidates for the premier slot. The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had nominated former petroleum minister and veteran politician Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as its candidate for prime minister.
From the assembly’s second biggest party in terms of numbers, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Naveed Qamar contested for the slot whereas Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) fielded Sheikh Rasheed as its nominee. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), the assembly’s fourth largest party, voted for the PML-N candidate. The party had earlier nominated its MNA Kishwer Zehra for the slot but withdrew her nominated following a meeting with PML-N leaders. Jamaat-e-Islami fielded Sahibzada Tariqullah as their candidate for the new prime minister.
The opposition intended to ‘put up a fight’, although the PML-N held a majority in the National Assembly. The opposition parties’ meeting on Monday failed to result in agreement over a joint candidate.
According to the Constitution and rules of the House, the speaker announced the process for members to elect a new Leader of the House. For five minutes, bells were rung in the lobby to let members gather inside the assembly hall.
The speaker announced the name of every member one-by-one and in alphabetical order to receive his/her ballot paper. The members marked the candidate of their choice with a tick on the ballot paper and put it in the ballot box.
Upon completion of the voting process, bells were again rung for two minutes so that members could again gather in the hall to listen to the result. The speaker announced the result and the successful candidate and other unsuccessful candidates were given a chance to address the House
