Pakistan elects new prime minister to finish Imran Khan’s term

Sharif was expected to face Shah Mahmood Qureshi, a former foreign minister endorsed by Khan, in the vote on Monday. However, all of Khan’s allies, including Qureshi, resigned ahead of the vote, leaving Sharif as the sole candidate.

The vote of no confidence stemmed from allegations of economic mismanagement and the mishandling of foreign affairs by Khan. The country’s economic policies have caused high inflation, causing the prices of food and fuel to skyrocket. The rupee additionally reached an all-time low on Thursday.

PAKISTAN COURT RULES PRIME MINISTER DISSOLVING PARLIAMENT ILLEGAL

Khan has accused the United States of interfering with the election because of his support for Russia and China during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. State Department has denied involving itself with the election, according to CNN.

“We are closely following developments in Pakistan, and we respect, we support Pakistan’s constitutional process and the rule of law, but when it comes to those allegations, there is no truth to them,” a statement from the State Department said.

Khan’s ousting has been the culmination of a dramatic week that saw the former prime minister attempt to dissolve Parliament and sidestep an earlier vote of no confidence that went all the way to the Supreme Court. Four days after the case was heard, the justices ruled that Khan’s actions were unconstitutional.

Sharif comes from a wealthy and political family. Sharif’s brother Nawaz Sharif served as prime minister for three terms. Sharif has served as the chief minister of the Punjab province for three terms, and Sharif’s son Hamza was elected as the chief minister last week. He has not taken office.

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Sharif was confirmed Monday after receiving 174 votes out of 342. In order to be elected, Sharif needed 172 votes for a simple majority.