Pakistani lawmakers elect Shehbaz Sharif as new Prime Minister   

Pakistan’s Parliament elected Opposition lawmaker Shehbaz Sharif as the country’s new Prime Mini

“Mohammad Shehbaz Sharif is declared to be the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” announced the acting Speaker, Asad Sadiq. The former Opposition leader will now run a truncated house with a small majority of 174 lawmakers, which is enough to pass laws in the 342-seat assembly. However, if Khan’s followers take to the streets — as he has heralded — it would create additional pressure on Parliament and deepen the crisis.

Khan, a former cricket star whose conservative Islamist ideology and dogged independence characterised his three years and eight months in office, was ousted early Sunday after losing a no-confidence vote in Parliament. Deserted by his party allies and a key coalition partner, the Opposition pushed Khan out with 174 votes — two more than the required simple majority.

In a show of strength and precursor to the political uncertainty ahead, Khan rallied hundreds of thousands of supporters late on Sunday to protest his ouster, and described the next government as an “imposed government.” In cities across Pakistan, Khan’s supporters marched, waving large party flags and vowing support. The youth, who make up the backbone of Khan’s supporters, dominated the crowds.

Some were crying, others shouting slogans promising Khan’s return. Khan has also demanded early elections — the balloting is not due before August 2023. He has tapped into anti-American sentiment in Pakistan, accusing Washington of conspiring with his opponents to topple him. His conspiracy theory resonates with his young support base, which often sees Washington’s post 9/11 war on terror as unfairly targeting Pakistan.

Pakistan’s political drama began on April 3 when Khan sidestepped an initial no-confidence vote demanded by the Opposition by dissolving Parliament and calling early elections. The Opposition, which accuses Khan of economic mismanagement, appealed to the Supreme Court. After four days of deliberations, the court ordered Parliament re-instated and the no-confidence vote went ahead. A marathon Parliament session started on Saturday and Mr. Khan was ousted early on Sunday.

Khan claims the Opposition colluded with Washington to topple him, allegedly because of his independent foreign policy favouring China and Russia. He was also criticised for a visit he made on February 24 to Moscow, where he held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine.

The U.S. State Department has denied any involvement in Pakistan’s internal politics.