BREAKING NEWS

Pakistan set to elect new prime minister Tuesday

By REUTERS

JULY 30, 2017 14:25

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's lawmakers will elect a new prime minister on Tuesday to replace ousted leader Nawaz Sharif, with ruling party stalwart Shahid Khaqan Abbasi expected to become interim leader until Sharif's own brother is eligible.

The confirmation from parliament came after Pakistan's President Mamnoon Hussain convened a special session following Sharif's decision to put forward his ally Abbasi as interim leader and named his brother Shahbaz, 65, as long-term successor.

Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party holds a majority with 188 seats in the 342-member parliament, so it should be able to swiftly install its choice, barring any defections from its own ranks.

A quick handover could ease political upheaval sparked by the Supreme Court's decision on Friday to disqualify Sharif for not declaring a source of income. The court also ordered a criminal investigation into him and his family.

"We wanted to make sure there is a smooth transfer of power, and no constitutional crisis," said Miftah Ismail, a senior PML-N official and Sharif ally.

The turmoil and the premature end to Sharif's third stint in power has also raised questions about Pakistan's democracy as no prime minister has completed a full term in power since independence from British colonial rule in 1947.

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