He was elected with 174 votes in favor after more than 100 politicians from Mr. Khan’s party withdrew from the National Assembly in protest. Shahbaz, 70, is the younger brother of three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and has led opposition parties to oust Khan. Mr Khan, the cricket star who became a politician, became the first Pakistani prime minister to be ousted in a no-confidence vote early Sunday. Image: Imran Khan has accused critics of colluding with the US to overthrow him He has been in power since 2018, but opponents have accused him of failing to revive the economy and tackle corruption. Khan has accused critics of colluding with the United States to oust him, but has provided no evidence and urged people to take to the streets in protest. Thousands of supporters demonstrated until the early hours of Monday morning in cities such as Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar. They blocked roads and shouted slogans against rival parties and the US government. Hundreds also gathered outside Nawaz Sharif’s home in London on Sunday. Image: Khan supporters gather in Karachi on Sunday After losing the vote, Mr Kahn wrote on Twitter on Sunday: “Pakistan became an independent state in 1947, but the struggle for freedom begins again today against a foreign regime conspiracy. “It is always the people of the country who defend their sovereignty and democracy.” Shahbaz Sharif submitted his candidacy for prime minister on Sunday, a move backed by other opposition parties. But Mr Hahn’s party also nominated the former foreign minister, saying its members would resign en masse if he lost, possibly leading to by-elections. Mr Kahn had been stuck for almost a week after a united opposition to oust him saw a key coalition partner and party allies jump off the ship. He managed to avoid an initial vote of no confidence by dissolving parliament and calling elections. However, the Supreme Court ruled that it was illegal. Image: Mr. Sharif pictured arriving at parliament in Islamabad, where he was later named prime minister Sabaz Sharif will have a small majority of 174, enough to pass laws in the 342-seat assembly. He has served three times as prime minister of Pakistan’s largest province, Punjab, where 60% of the country’s population lives. His brother’s last term in power ended in 2017, when he was ousted from office after financial details at the Panama Papers. He went abroad for medical treatment after serving just a few months of a 10-year sentence for corruption, while Shabaz became the leader of the PML-N party.
