Pakistani politician Shahbaz Sharif will become Prime Minister for the second time today, Sunday, when the newly formed parliament conducts a vote following three weeks of inconclusive national elections that led to the establishment of a coalition government. The Pakistani elections were held on February 8, and the voting was marred by the suspension of internet services to mobile phones on election day, along with arrests and violence prior to the vote, which raised unusual delays in announcing the results that sparked allegations of tampering.
Sharif will return to the position he held until August when the parliament was dissolved before the elections, and a caretaker government took over. The voting in parliament, which commenced its first session on Thursday, is scheduled to take place amid tight security due to protests from candidates supported by imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan regarding the election results, along with calls for his release.
Sharif, 72, is the younger brother of Nawaz Sharif, who has served as Prime Minister three times and has led the campaign for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). Candidates supported by Khan secured the largest number of seats, but the PML-N and the Pakistan Peoples Party agreed to form a coalition government, giving Shahbaz Sharif the opportunity to secure a second term as Prime Minister after his brother's resignation.
