Imran Khan sworn in as PM of Pakistan

Colombo (News 1st) - Cricketer-turned-politician and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan was sworn in as the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan today (August 18) in presence of several leaders and cricketers. The ceremony was administered by President Mamnoon Hussain at the President House in Islamabad. The election in the 15th National Assembly was held on July 25 and results were declared the next day in which Khan’s PTI emerged as the largest party securing 116 seats. Opposition parties Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) won 64 and 43 seats respectively. However, Khan did not have the majority to form the government as a total of 172 seats were needed for that in the 342-member lower house of Parliament. On Friday (August 17) 176 members of the National assembly voted in favor of Khan while his opponent, Shahbaz received 96 votes. Khan said in a combative speech in parliament that the first thing he wanted to do was enforce strict accountability. In a sign of Pakistan's bitter political divisions, opposition lawmakers surrounded Khan and disrupted his speech throughout by shouting "thief, thief Imran Khan" and "puppet". Khan, a firebrand nationalist, has promised to create millions of jobs and build world-class hospitals and school systems in the mainly-Muslim country of 208 million people, but he will face a battle to push through his ambitious reforms and legislative agenda due to the thin majority in the National Assembly. The Senate, parliament's upper chamber, is controlled by the opposition. Opposition parties allege election rigging and say Khan's path to power was made easier by the tacit support of the powerful military, which has ruled Pakistan for nearly half its history. The army and Khan's PTI deny any collusion.