Lahore, April 11: The Pakistan National Assembly has elected the 23rd prime minister of the country on Monday after the top slot fell vacant as Imran Khan was ousted from power through a no-confidence motion in the parliament on early Sunday morning. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shehbaz Sharif, who is currently the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, is elected the new prime minister of Pakistan.

Former PM lmran Khan tried every trick up his sleeve to cling to power but eventually, he was thrown out of his office after a total of 174 members voted in favour of the no-confidence motion against him. Shehbaz Sharif Elected As New Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Shehbaz Sharif, the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly and brother of former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif, will soon assume charge of Pakistan. Shehbaz was elected to the country’s general assembly his brother, Nawaz Sharif won his first election as prime minister. Since then he has been politically active in the country's politics. Pakistan Political Crisis: 'Freedom Struggle Begins Again Today,' Says Imran Khan After Losing No-Confidence Vote.

Here Are Few Things To Know About Shehbaz Sharif:

  • Shehbaz Sharif, 70, is the younger brother of three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Born into a wealthy family, Shehbaz, studied at Government College Lahore and joined the family-owned Ittefaq Group which dealt in steel and iron.

  • Shehbaz was elected to the country’s general assembly when his brother, Nawaz, won his first election as prime minister in 1990.

  • In 1997, Shehbaz became the CM of Pakistan’s Punjab. Since then he served as chief minister of Punjab thrice.

  • Both the Sharif brothers were deposed in a military coup when Nawaz tried to replace the head of the Pakistani Army. The family was imprisoned in 2000. Shehbaz was then sent into exile in Saudi Arabia in 2000.

  • In 2007, Shehbaz returned from exile and became engaged in politics. He was elected as Punjab's CM for a second term in 2008. He was again elected as CM of Punjab in 2013 for a second consecutive term.

  • He entered the national political stage when he became the chief of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party after Nawaz was found guilty in 2017 in relation to the Panama Papers scandal.

  • In December 2019, Shehbaz and his son, Hamza Sharif, were indicted on charges of money laundering. The UK froze the family’s bank accounts and also family's 23 properties were frozen.

  • However, the case was dropped after an investigation by Britain’s National Crime Agency failed to find evidence against Shehbaz. The case is still open in Pakistan.

  • He was granted bail in April 2021 by Lahore high court in money laundering reference.

  • He was supported by all the opposition parties, especially the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari during the 2022 Pakistan political crisis.

Shehbaz, according to local media, is best known for his direct, "can-do" administrative style. During his tenure as Punjab CM, he closely worked with China on Beijing-funded projects. Pakistan's declining economy will be the foremost challenge to Shehbaz. Apart from this, foreign relations, especially with India and Afghanistan, will be the most challenging part of Shehbaz’s foreign diplomacy.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 11, 2022 06:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).