Politics

Pakistan’s new parliament holds session after turbulent elections

Islamabad, Feb 29 (EFE). The Parliament of Pakistan is holding its first session on Thursday to swear in the new members of the lower house, elected on Feb. 8 in turbulent elections, after weeks of political maneuvering.

The session comes partly due to legal obligations that require the National Assembly (NA) to hold the first plenary session within 21 days of the election.

However, the Pakistani president, Arif Alvi, avoided calling the session until Thursday, prompting the NA secretariat itself to call the session on its own.

Immediately after NA’s announcement, Alvi’s office reported that “the President accorded his approval while keeping in view the mandate and implications of the timeline given” in law.

Once sworn in, parliament is expected to elect a new prime minister in the following days.

Pakistan has been shaken by political instability following the general elections, held under tight control, with the country’s most popular leader, former Prime Minister Imran Khan, in jail and his party almost barred from contesting.

The situation became more complicated after Khan’s supporters belonging to his Pakistan

Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI), achieved a majority of about 90 seats by contesting as independents in the elections, defying the odds.

Khan’s allies, however, were unlikely to form the government since the PTI refused to make alliances with powerful parties to secure a majority of 133.

The current landscape suggests an alliance between the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), which emerged as the second and third largest parties in the elections, respectively.

The alliance has chosen former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to return to the office and govern Pakistan, even though his name was never among the favorites. EFE

pak-igr/am/sc

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