Shehbaz Sharif sworn in as Pakistan's 24th prime minister

• Shehbaz only politician to become PM for second time.
• President Alvi administers oath to newly-elected PM.
• Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan CMs present at ceremony.

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) Shehbaz Sharif on Monday took an oath as the country's 24th prime minister at the President's House in the federal capital.

President Dr Arif Alvi administered the oath to the newly-elected premier in a ceremony which was attended by several dignitaries including Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Asim Munir. 

Meanwhile, leaders of the country’s mainstream political parties such as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Mutahidda Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), and Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), among others, attended the oath-taking ceremony.

Those among the leaders included PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.

Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan chief ministers — Maryam Nawaz, Murad Ali Shah, and Sarfraz Bugti — were also present at the ceremony. 

Ambassadors and diplomats from different countries were also present at the venue.

Following the oath-taking ceremony, the prime minister was presented with a guard of honour. 

Shehbaz was elected as the prime minister on Sunday, 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 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.