Pakistani Parliament Elects Nawaz Sharif as PM
Pakistan’s parliament elected Nawaz Sharif as prime minister on Wednesday, marking a historic transfer of power in a country that has undergone three military coups.
Now Sharif faces the monumental task of leading the country of 180 million people out of its sea of problems, including widespread power outages and militant attacks. During a speech to parliament, Sharif focused on how he’d right the country’s ailing economy but also called for an end to CIA drone strikes against militants in Pakistan’s tribal areas.
Sharif received 244 votes in the 342-seat parliament, returning him to the prime minister’s office for an unprecedented third time. Sharif, who was deposed in a military coup in 1999, will later Wednesday be sworn in by the president.