Pakistan’s newly elected PM Shehbaz Sharif rakes up Kashmir

Islamabad, March 3

Pakistan’s newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday raked up the Kashmir issue in his maiden address but pledged to improve ties with all leading nations, including the country’s neighbours.

Shehbaz said that Pakistan would not become part of any “great game” and his government would increase the number of friends.

He pledged to build and improve ties with all leading nations, including neighbours.

“We will keep ties with neighbours on the basis of equality,” Shehbaz, 72, said as he easily won the election in the National Assembly to become Pakistan’s prime minister for a second time. 

Shehbaz, however, raked up the Kashmir issue and equated it with Palestine. “Let’s all come together […] and the National Assembly should pass a resolution for the freedom of Kashmiris and Palestinians,” he added.

He also thanked his allies in the coalition government for putting their trust in him and making him Leader of the House.

“When my Quaid (leader Nawaz) was elected the prime minister thrice, the development that followed in the country is an example of its own. And it is not wrong to say that Nawaz Sharif is the one who built Pakistan,” Shehbaz said in his victory speech.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president thanked his elder brother Nawaz and all the allies for putting their trust in him and making him Leader of the House.

Shehbaz, who was the consensus candidate of the PML-N and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), received 201 votes in the 336-member house.