Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is new Pak Premier
Pakistani lawmakers on Tuesday elected former petroleum minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as the country`s new prime minister, four days after the Supreme Court disqualified Nawaz Sharif from holding the post.
Pakistan Muslim League-(N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi bagged 221 votes in the polling in the National Assembly.
Abbasi will be the interim Prime Minister until Nawaz Sharif’s brother and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif formally takes charge of the federal government.
Nawaz Sharif`s ruling PML-N used its majority in the National Assembly to comfortably install Abbasi as interim PM.
This comes four days after the Supreme Court disqualified Nawaz Sharif from office over failure to disclose a source of income.
As interim Prime Minister, Abassi`s tenure is expected to be short.
Shahbaz, currently the chief minister of the vast Punjab province, needs to win a parliamentary by-election before other lawmakers can elect him as prime minister.
KV Correspondent
