Pakistan’s National Assembly is set to elect the country’s new prime minister in a special session scheduled for Friday afternoon, reported The Express Tribune. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) chief Shehbaz Sharif have filed their nomination papers, which were accepted earlier.
National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser has summoned the parliament session for the vote at 3:30 pm, reported The News.
Khan looks set to be named Pakistan’s 19th prime minister after differences cropped up between the PML(N) and the Pakistan People’s Party over selecting a candidate for the election. In its parliamentary party meeting on Thursday, the PPP decided not to vote for Sharif after concerns from the party’s senior leadership, reported The Express Tribune.
PTI spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry appeared confident of getting more than 180 votes, according to The Express Tribune. “It is obvious that Imran will win this election,” he said.
The PTI has 152 members in the National Assembly, and its tally goes up to 183 with support from seven other parties and nine Independent candidates, according to The Express Tribune. With 82 members, the PML-N is the largest opposition party, followed by the PPP at 53.
The new prime minister will be sworn in on August 18.
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