Sharif is the leader of Pakistan’s Muslim League-Nawaz party and the brother of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was ousted from the Supreme Court in 2017 over undeclared assets. In a speech embroidered with poetry after his election, Sharif accused the Khan government of being “corrupt, incompetent and lax”, but also gave some conciliatory notes. “If we want our country to move forward, it must be done through dialogue, not a stalemate,” he said. The overthrow of Khan on Sunday was a triumph for Pakistan’s top political families, Sharif and Bhutto, who were once fierce opponents but united in an alliance against the former sports superstar after his victory in the 2018 elections. “Welcome back to old Pakistan,” said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, leader of Pakistan’s opposition People’s Party and son of ousted former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. “Democracy is the best revenge.” Pakistan has been ruled by the military for about half of its existence since the nation was founded in 1947, and Bhutto and Sharif have led many political governments since the 1970s. The election of Sharif, a former prime minister of Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province, has ended a period of intense constitutional uncertainty in the nation of 220 million people with nuclear weapons. After losing the support of a coalition ally and some of his party’s lawmakers, Hahn tried to avoid a motion of censure by dissolving parliament. The Supreme Court ruled the move unconstitutional and ordered parliament to consider the proposal, paving the way for Khan to become Pakistan’s first caretaker prime minister to resign. Underlining the sharp political divisions in Pakistan, Sharif gave his winning speech in an almost half-empty room. Khan’s 168 allies in the 342-seat National Assembly had left in protest, leaving the remaining 174 to vote for Sharif. Analysts say Khan could now become a highly subversive force against the new Sharif government. Huma Bakai, an associate professor at the Institute of Business Administration in Karachi, said Khan’s term as prime minister had ended, but his policies could be strengthened. Sharif in center with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, left, during a press conference with other party leaders in Islamabad last week © Aamir Qureshi / AFP / Getty Images Khan sought to exploit the reservoirs of anti-American sentiment in Pakistan and insisted, without showing any evidence, that his removal was orchestrated by the United States. Washington has categorically denied that it is seeking regime change. “The struggle for freedom begins again today against a foreign regime conspiracy,” Hahn wrote on Twitter on Sunday. His supporters protested in large numbers against his ouster that night. Khan “is heading for unrest immediately,” said Ayaz Amir, a former Sharif MP who is now independent. “It will not allow this political system to collapse.” Blaming the United States could play a good role for Khan, said Hassan Askari Rizvi, the former prime minister of Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province. “In parts of Pakistan, anti-Americanism is selling to the public, such as areas along the border with Afghanistan,” Rizvi said, adding that Khan was likely to emerge as a strong opposition leader. “[His] the future depends on how far the new government can respond to popular grievances. . . “It will not be easy,” Rizvi said. Pakistan’s next general election is scheduled to begin with the dissolution of parliament in August 2023, but the election authorities will have to decide whether or not to hold by-elections immediately after the resignation of several MPs allied with Khan. The overthrow of Imran Khan was a triumph for Pakistan’s top political families © Shahzaib Akber / EPA / Shutterstock Sharif will have to deal with intense stress in the Pakistani economy. With world commodity prices soaring, Pakistanis have endured months of double-digit inflation. Food prices rose 13 percent year on year in March, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. Khan had clashed with the IMF over a $ 6 billion loan program, which included imposing unpopular measures such as raising fuel tariffs. “Our economy is facing extreme difficulties. “It is a very serious situation, but it must and will change for the better,” Sharif told parliament. Nasir Ali Shah Bukhari, who heads the stock exchange KASB, said Sharif’s experience working in his family’s metal business before entering politics would reassure the business community. “He is an entrepreneur and has a full understanding of the challenges that entrepreneurs face,” Bukhari said. Sharif and Nawaz’s brother have been accused of corruption, which they say is politically motivated. Nawaz was serving a seven-year prison sentence for corruption when he received a special permit to visit the United Kingdom for medical treatment in 2019. He has remained in the United Kingdom ever since. Much may depend on whether Sharif and Bhutto can maintain their alliance. Asfadir Mir, a specialist at the US Peace Institute, said the two families found common ground as the powerful Pakistani military tried to reduce their influence. “The military has a deep contempt for both of these political parties,” Mir said. “So I suspect they will work together. . . they realize that Khan is their common adversary and that he can return. “
