Modi Congratulates Shehbaz Sharif For His Appointment As Pakistan PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday congratulated Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after the latter was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

“Congratulations to Shehbaz Sharif on being sworn in as the Prime Minister of Pakistan,” PM Modi said in a post on social media site X.

Shehbaz Sharif took oath as the nation’s 24th prime minister on Monday. Shehbaz’s ascent to to the role of Pakistan prime minister was a controversial one, as his party, the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N) and its supremo, his elder brother and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif are accused to have the backing of the Pakistani deep state and the Pakistan Army in the recently concluded elections where the independents backed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) bagged the most seats.

President Arif Alvi administered the oath to the 72-year-old Shehbaz in a ceremony held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, the presidential residence. Shehbaz Sharif is taking over the reins of the cash-strapped country for a second time. He was also the outgoing prime minister and took over from Imran Khan after the latter was ousted in a no-confidence motion vote in 2022.

Shehbaz, the consensus candidate of the PML-N and the PPP, received 201 votes in the 336-member Pakistan parliament on Monday. His challenger Omar Ayub Khan of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secured 92 votes.

In the February 8 polls, marred by allegations of vote rigging, the Sharifs-led party failed to garner a clear majority, albeit technically, it is the largest party with 75 out of the 265 contested seats. The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) headed by Nawaz Sharif, reached a coalition deal with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) led by former foreign minister Bilawal Zardari-Bhutto.

Shehbaz raised the Kashmir issue in his maiden speech after re-election and said Pakistan would _work for Palestinians and Kashmiris. He also said that he would work with neighbours and allies to maintain cordial relations based on the principles of equality.

PM Narendra Modi in 2022 also congratulated Shehbaz Sharif when he took over as prime minister after Imran Khan’s ouster. That time, his message read: “Congratulations to HE Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on his election as the Prime Minister of Pakistan. India desires peace and stability in a region free of terror, so that we can focus on our development challenges and ensure the well-being and prosperity of our people.”