IMRAN KHAN SWORN IN AS PAKISTAN’S PRIME MINISTER
Khan has promised to wage war on corruption, transform Pakistan into an Islamic welfare state
aptan’ Imran Khan today began a new innings as Pakistan’s prime minister, assuming the reins at a time when the country is facing serious financial woes, uneasy ties with its neighbours and possible international sanctions for failing to combat terrorism.
Khan, 65, the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek- e-Insaf (PTI), was administered the oath of office as Pakistan’s 22nd prime minister by President Mamnoon Hussain at a simple ceremony held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr (President House) in Islamabad.
The ceremony, which was scheduled to begin at 9:30am, started 40 minutes late. It commenced with the Pakistan national anthem, followed by recitation of verses from the Quran.
Clad in a traditional greyish-black sherwani, a tearful former cricket hero appeared a little nervous as he stumbled over some Urdu words during the oath-taking ceremony.
The guests included Pakistan’s caretaker prime minister, Nasirul Mulk, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, Pakistan Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa, Pakistan Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan and Pakistan Naval Chief Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi. Also present were cricketerturnedRameez Raja, newly- elected Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, singers Salman Ahmed and Abrarul Haq, actor Javaid Sheikh, former National Assembly speaker Fehmida Mirza and senior PTI leaders.
Former Pakistani pacer Wasim Akram and other members of the 1992 cricket World Cup team that Khan captained to victory also watched the ceremony.
From India, former cricketer and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, who arrived in Pakistan yesterday, was also present. Other Indian cricketers such as Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar, who Khan had invited, earlier confirmed that they would not be participating in the event. While Dev cited “personal reasons”, Gavaskar declined the invitation owing to his commentary commitments for the ongoing Test series between India and England.
Sidhu, who wore a navy blue suit and purple turban for the occasion, said, “A new morning is here in Pakistan with a new government which can change the destiny of the country. He hoped Khan’s victory would be good for the India-Pakistan peace process. He added that he had brought “a message of love” to Pakistan as a goodwill ambassador of India. “I have come here not as a politician but as a friend. I have come here to take part in the happiness of my friend (Imran),” he said.
India’s relations with Pakistan have remained strained since the 2016 terror attacks by Pakistan-based
groups. The sentencing of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav to death by a Pakistani military court, which has accused him of being a spy, has further deteriorated the bilateral ties.
Pakistan’s relations with war-torn Afghanistan have also plunged over the issue of cross-border terrorism. The US has long been frustrated with Pakistan’s overt and covert support to the Afghan Taliban and other terror groups, with the Trump administration warning Islamabad and slashing military aid to the country.
Khan has assumed charge days after a delegation of global financial watchdog, Financial Action Task Force (FATF), asked Pakistan to strengthen its laws against terror financing and money laundering. The Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering,
which visited Pakistan this week, will submit a report to the Paris-based FATF which placed the country on its “grey list” in June.
The delegation, reports say, has asked Pakistan to enact laws to enable local officials to act on requests of foreign countries to freeze the illegal assets of and extradite those involved in financing terrorism and money laundering. Pakistan needs to comply by September next year, with the 10-point action plan it committed to FATF earlier this year to avoid sanctions.
Prime Minister Khan has said that his initial focus would be on reviving Pakistan’s battered economy.
Pakistan’s currency, the rupee, has declined significantly in the last year. Inflation is on the rise and the country’s trade deficit is widening.
The new PTI government will also have to deal with a huge debt burden and dwindling foreign exchange reserves, The Express Tribune reported.
Analysts say the new government may need to turn to the International Monetary Fund for Pakistan’s second bailout since 2013, which could complicate efforts to boost welfare.
Khan’s swearing in, also witnessed by his third wife, Bushra Bibi, marks the end of decades of rotating leadership between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) — the two main political parties that dominated the country’s political scene when the powerful military was not ruling the Muslimmajority country.
Later, Khan was presented a guard of honour at the Prime Minister House. Khan had previously announced that he would not stay at the palatial home of the prime minister. He has promised to transform Pakistan into an Islamic welfare state.
The Oxford- educated Pasthun yesterday defeated his only rival, PML-N chief Shahbaz Sharif, in the election for the top post in the National Assembly. Khan secured 176 votes, while Sharif got 96 votes. A total of 172 votes in the 342-member lower house of Parliament are needed to form a government.
PTI emerged as the single largest party with 116 seats in the July 25 elections. Its number increased to 125 after nine independent members joined it and the final tally reached 158 after it was allotted 28 out of the 60 seats reserved for women and five of the 10 seats reserved for minorities. Khan also has the support of smaller parties.
Khan’s government will be the third consecutive democratic government in Pakistan since 2008 when military ruler Pervez Musharraf announced elections after serving as president from 2001 to 2008 following a bloodless coup in 1999.
The PPP formed the government in 2008, followed by the PML-N led by jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 2013.
Pakistan’s powerful military has ruled the country through various coups for nearly half of the country’s history since independence in 1947.
A tearful former cricket hero appeared a little nervous as he stumbled over some Urdu words during the oath-taking ceremony